Table of Contents
Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(5)
Registration No. 333-257609
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
| ||||||||
Title of Each Class of Securities Offered | Amount to be Registered(2) | Maximum Offering Price Per Unit | Maximum Aggregate Offering Price(2) | Amount of Registration Fee(3) | ||||
Ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share(1) | 17,250,000 | $20.00 | $345,000,000 | $31,981.50 | ||||
| ||||||||
|
(1) | American depositary shares, or ADSs, issuable upon deposit of ordinary shares registered hereby are registered under a separate registration statement on Form F-6 (Registration No. 333-238581). Each ADS represents two ordinary shares. | |
(2) | Assumes exercise in full of the underwriters’ option to purchase up to 1,125,000 ADSs. | |
(3) | The filing fee is calculated in accordance with Rule 457(r) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. This “Calculation of Registration Fee” table shall be deemed to update the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the registrant’s Registration Statement on Form F-3 (File No. 333-257609) in accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. |
Table of Contents
PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT
(To Prospectus Dated July 1, 2021)
7,500,000 American Depositary Shares
Representing 15,000,000 ordinary shares
We are offering 7,500,000 ADSs. Each ADS represents two ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value per share.
Our ADSs are listed on The Nasdaq Global Select Market, or Nasdaq, under the symbol “LEGN.” On December 15, 2021, the last reported sale price of our ADSs on Nasdaq was $41.14 per ADS.
We are an “emerging growth company” and a “foreign private issuer” under applicable U.S. federal securities laws and are eligible for reduced public company reporting requirements. See “Prospectus Supplement Summary—Implications of Being an Emerging Growth Company” and “Prospectus Supplement Summary—Implications of Being a Foreign Private Issuer and a Controlled Company” for additional information.
PRICE $40.00 PER ADS
Price to | Underwriting | Proceeds | ||||||||||
Per ADS | $40.00 | $2.40 | $37.60 | |||||||||
Total | $300,000,000 | $18,000,000 | $282,000,000 |
(1) | See “Underwriters” for a description of the compensation payable to the underwriters. |
We have granted the underwriters the right to purchase up to an additional 1,125,000 ADSs at the public offering price, less underwriting discounts and commissions.
Investing in the ADSs involves risks. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page S-10 of this prospectus supplement and in our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, as well as any amendment or update to our risk factors reflected in subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any other state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
Genscript Biotech Corporation, or Genscript, our majority shareholder, has agreed to purchase 2,250,000 ADSs at the public offering price in this offering. The underwriters will receive the same underwriting discount on any ADSs purchased by Genscript as they will on any other ADSs sold to the public in this offering.
The underwriters expect to deliver the ADSs against payment in New York, New York on December 20, 2021.
Joint Bookrunners
Morgan Stanley | J.P. Morgan | Jefferies | Piper Sandler | Barclays |
Co-Manager
BTIG
December 16, 2021
Table of Contents
Prospectus Supplement
Page | ||||
S-ii | ||||
S-ii | ||||
S-iv | ||||
S-1 | ||||
S-10 | ||||
S-26 | ||||
S-27 | ||||
S-28 | ||||
S-29 | ||||
S-31 | ||||
S-43 | ||||
S-49 | ||||
S-49 | ||||
S-49 | ||||
S-50 |
Prospectus
Page | ||||
1 | ||||
2 | ||||
4 | ||||
6 | ||||
7 | ||||
8 | ||||
18 | ||||
34 | ||||
41 | ||||
42 | ||||
43 | ||||
44 | ||||
47 | ||||
48 | ||||
49 | ||||
50 |
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 supplement, the accompanying prospectus or any related free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of us or to which we have referred you. This prospectus supplement, the accompanying 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, or in any jurisdiction to any person to whom it is unlawful to make such offer or solicitation in such jurisdiction. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. We and the underwriters take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give you.
For investors outside the United States: We have not done anything that would permit the offering or possession or distribution of this prospectus supplement and the accompanying 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 supplement and the accompanying prospectus must inform themselves about, and observe any restrictions relating to, the offering of the securities described herein and the distribution of this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus outside the United States.
S-i
Table of Contents
ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT
This document consists of two parts. The first part is this prospectus supplement, which describes the specific terms of this offering of ADSs and also adds to and updates information contained in the accompanying prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. The second part is the accompanying prospectus dated July 1, 2021, included in our registration statement on Form F-3 (File No. 333-257609) that became effective automatically upon filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, along with the documents incorporated by reference, which provides more general information, some of which may not apply to this offering. To the extent information in this prospectus supplement is inconsistent with the accompanying prospectus or any of the documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, you should rely on this prospectus supplement. You should read and consider the information in both this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus together with the additional information described under the headings “Where You Can Find More Information” and “Incorporation of Documents by Reference.”
Unless otherwise indicated or the context otherwise requires, all references in this prospectus supplement to the terms “Legend,” “Legend Biotech,” “the company,” “we,” “us” and “our” refer to Legend Biotech Corporation and its subsidiaries.
This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus 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 supplement is a part or other SEC filings, and you may obtain copies of those documents as described below under the heading “Where You Can Find More Information.”
You should not assume that the information contained in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and any related free writing prospectus is accurate only as of the date of this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and any such related free writing prospectus, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus, any such related free writing prospectus or of any sale of our ordinary shares or ADSs. You should not assume that the information contained in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus 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 supplement, the accompanying prospectus or any related free writing prospectus is delivered, or ordinary shares or ADSs are sold, on a later date. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since those dates. You should read this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus, the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, and any free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of us or to which we have referred you, in their entirety before making an investment decision.
MARKET, INDUSTRY AND OTHER DATA
This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, including the information incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, and any free writing prospectus that we have authorized for use in connection with this offering, contains estimates, projections and other information concerning our industry, our business and the markets for our product candidates, including data regarding the estimated size of such markets and the incidence of certain medical conditions. We obtained this industry, market and similar data from our internal estimates and research and from academic and industry research, publications, surveys and studies conducted by third parties, including governmental agencies. In some cases, we do not expressly refer to the sources from which this data is derived. Information that is based on estimates, forecasts,
S-ii
Table of Contents
projections, market research or similar methodologies is inherently subject to uncertainties and actual events or circumstances may differ materially from events and circumstances that are assumed in this information. While we believe that the data we use from third parties are reliable, we have not separately verified this data. Further, while we believe that our internal research is reliable, such research has not been verified by any third party. You are cautioned not to give undue weight to any such information, projections and estimates.
S-iii
Table of Contents
SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus, the documents incorporated by reference and any free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of us or to which we have referred you contain “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 Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act. These statements are based on our management’s current beliefs, expectations and assumptions about future events, conditions and results and on information currently available to us.
In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “expects,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “will,” “would” or the negative or plural of those terms, and similar expressions 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.
Any statements in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus, the documents incorporated by reference or any free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of us or to which we have referred you about our expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance are not historical facts and are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements may include, without limitation, statements regarding:
• | the ability of our clinical trials to demonstrate acceptable safety and efficacy of our product candidates, and other positive results; |
• | the timing, progress and results of preclinical studies and clinical trials for product candidates we may develop, including statements regarding the timing of initiation and completion of studies or trials and related preparatory work, the period during which the results of the trials will become available, and our research and development programs; |
• | the timing, scope and likelihood of regulatory filings and approvals, including final regulatory approval of our product candidates; |
• | our ability to achieve milestones under our collaboration with Janssen Biotech, Inc., or Janssen, for cilta-cel; |
• | our ability to develop and advance our current product candidates and programs into, and successfully complete, clinical trials; |
• | our manufacturing, commercialization, and marketing capabilities and strategy; |
• | our plans relating to commercializing our product candidates, if approved, including the geographic areas of focus and sales strategy; |
• | the need to hire additional personnel and our ability to attract and retain such personnel; |
• | the size of the market opportunity for our product candidates, including our estimates of the number of patients who suffer from the diseases we are targeting; |
• | our expectations regarding the approval and use of our product candidates as first, second or subsequent lines of therapy or in combination with other drugs; |
• | our competitive position and the success of competing therapies that are or may become available; |
• | our estimates of the number of patients that we will enroll in our clinical trials; |
• | the beneficial characteristics, safety, efficacy and therapeutic effects of our product candidates; |
S-iv
Table of Contents
• | our ability to obtain and maintain regulatory approval of our product candidates; |
• | our plans relating to the further development of our product candidates, including additional indications we may pursue; |
• | our intellectual property position, including the scope of protection we are able to establish and maintain for intellectual property rights covering product candidates we may develop, including the extensions of existing patent terms where available, the validity of intellectual property rights held by third parties, and our ability not to infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate any third-party intellectual property rights; |
• | our continued reliance on third parties to conduct additional clinical trials of our product candidates, and for the manufacture of our product candidates for preclinical studies and clinical trials; |
• | our ability to obtain, and negotiate favorable terms of, any collaboration, licensing or other arrangements that may be necessary or desirable to develop, manufacture or commercialize our product candidates; |
• | the pricing and reimbursement of our product candidates we may develop, if approved; |
• | the rate and degree of market acceptance and clinical utility of our product candidates we may develop; |
• | our estimates regarding expenses, future revenue, capital requirements and needs for additional financing; |
• | our financial performance; |
• | the period over which we estimate our existing cash and cash equivalents will be sufficient to fund our future operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements; |
• | the impact of laws and regulations; |
• | our expectations regarding the period during which we will qualify as an emerging growth company under the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, or the JOBS Act; and |
• | our anticipated use of our existing resources and the proceeds from this offering. |
These statements reflect our current views with respect to future events, are based on assumptions and are subject to risks and uncertainties. Given these risks and uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. We discuss many of these risks, uncertainties and other factors in greater detail under the heading “Risk Factors” in this prospectus supplement and in the section “Item3.D-Risk Factors” of our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, or the Annual Report, which is incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. As a result of these factors, we cannot assure you that the forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus, the documents incorporated by reference or any free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of us or to which we have referred you will prove to be accurate. 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. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
You should read this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus, the documents incorporated by reference or any free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of us or to which we have referred you completely and with the understanding that our actual future results may be materially different from what we expect. We qualify all of our forward-looking statements by these cautionary statements.
S-v
Table of Contents
The following summary highlights information about us, this offering and other information contained elsewhere in or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, and does not contain all of the information that you need to consider in making your investment decision. For a more complete understanding of our company and this offering, you should read and consider carefully the more detailed information included or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, including the factors described under the heading “Risk Factors” beginning on page S-10 of this prospectus supplement and in the section “Item3.D-Risk Factors” of our Annual Report, which is incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, as well as the information included in any free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of us or to which we have referred you.
OVERVIEW
We are a global, clinical-stage biotechnology company dedicated to treating, and one day curing, life-threatening diseases. We are developing advanced cell therapies across a diverse array of technology platforms, including autologous and allogenic chimeric antigen receptor T-cell, T-cell receptor and natural killer cell-based immunotherapy. From our three research and development, or R&D, sites around the world, we apply these innovative technologies to pursue the discovery of safe, efficacious and cutting-edge therapeutics for patients worldwide.
We are currently engaged in a strategic collaboration with Janssen Biotech, Inc., or Janssen, to develop and commercialize our lead product candidate, ciltacabtagene autoleucel, or cilta-cel, an investigational BCMA-targeted CAR-T cell therapy for patients living with multiple myeloma. This candidate is being studied in registrational clinical trials and has received priority review from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, for the first indication. In May 2021, the rolling submission of a Biologics License Application, or BLA, was accepted by the FDA for cilta-cel for the treatment of adults with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma, or RRMM, following the submission by our collaborator, Janssen. As part of the BLA acceptance, the FDA originally granted cilta-cel priority review and set the Prescription Drug User Fee Act, or PDUFA, target action date for November 29, 2021. The PDUFA date was subsequently extended by the FDA to February 28, 2022 to allow sufficient time for the FDA to review information submitted pertaining to an updated analytical method following an FDA information request.
OUR PIPELINE
We have built our company around overcoming the challenges associated with CAR-T cell therapy development through deploying our fully-integrated, global cell therapy capabilities including in-house expertise on early-stage discovery, efficient clinical translation, manufacturing and commercialization to bring our pipeline of next-generation cell therapy product candidates to patients.
S-1
Table of Contents
* | In collaboration with Janssen, Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson |
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS
On December 13, 2021, we announced new and updated results from the CARTITUDE clinical development program studying cilta-cel in the treatment of multiple myeloma, which were presented at the 63rd American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting and Exposition.
In our Phase 1b/2 CARTITUDE-1 trial, longer-term results in 97 patients with RRMM continued to show a high overall response rate, or ORR, of 98 percent. After 21.7 months of follow-up, 83 percent of patients treated with cilta-cel achieved a stringent complete response, or sCR, which was higher than the 67 percent sCR rate reported at a median of approximately 1 year of follow up. Further, 95 percent of patients achieved a very good partial response, or VGPR, or better. Median progression-free survival, or PFS, and median overall survival, or OS, have not been reached, but the 2-year PFS rate was 61 percent and the 2-year OS rate was 74 percent. Of the 61 patients evaluable for minimal residual disease, or MRD, 92 percent were MRD-negative at the 10-5 cutoff threshold. The two-year PFS rates in patients with sustained MRD negativity for at least 6 and 12 months were 91 percent and 100 percent, respectively. The longer-term data showed no new safety signals and there were no new events of cilta-cel-related neurotoxicity or movement and neurocognitive treatment emergent adverse events reported since the median approximate 1 year follow-up.
We also presented new results from our Phase 2 multicohort CARTITUDE-2 trial, which is evaluating cilta-cel safety and efficacy in various clinical settings for patients with multiple myeloma. Updated data from
S-2
Table of Contents
Cohort A of the trial examined the efficacy and safety of cilta-cel in 20 patients with progressive multiple myeloma after 1-3 prior lines of therapy and who are lenalidomide-refractory. At a longer median follow-up of 14.3 months, patients experienced early and deep responses with a manageable safety profile consistent with the CARTITUDE-1 trial. ORR was 95 percent, which included 85 percent of patients achieving CR or better and 90 percent achieving VGPR or better. The median time to first response was one month and the median time to best response was 2.6 months. The 6-month and 12-month PFS rates were 95 percent and 84 percent, respectively.
The first data from Cohort B of the CARTITUDE-2 trial was also presented. Cohort B included 19 patients who were in early relapse after initial therapy that included a proteasome inhibitor, or PI, and immunomodulatory drug, or IMiD. Data showed early and deep responses with a manageable safety profile. At a median follow-up of 10.6 months, ORR was 95 percent, which included 79 percent of patients achieving CR or better and 90 percent of patients achieving VGPR or better. The median time to first response was one month and the median time to best response was 2.5 months. The 6-month and 12-month PFS rates were 90 percent and 84 percent, respectively.
The safety profile seen in CARTITUDE-2 Cohorts A and B were consistent with data previously reported from CARTITUDE-1. CRS occurred in 95 percent of patients in Cohort A and 84 percent of patients in Cohort B, which were mostly grades 1/2 with median time to onset of 7 to 8 days and median duration of approximately 4 days.
RISK FACTORS
Our business is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, including those highlighted in the section titled “Risk Factors” immediately following this prospectus supplement summary and in the section “Item3.D-Risk Factors” of our Annual Report. Some of these risks are:
Risks Related to Our Business
• | Our ability to become and remain profitable may never be achieved due to the uncertainty of developing and commercializing complex therapies, and we may never achieve or maintain profitability. |
• | Our limited operating history, which has focused on research and development, makes it difficult to assess our future prospects. |
• | Our need for additional funding to complete the development of our product candidates, which may not be available on acceptable terms, if at all. |
Risks Related to the Development of Our Product Candidates
• | The uncertainties of the biopharmaceutical development process for novel and emergent treatment, including the uncertainty of outcomes of clinical trials, and the potential failure of product candidates to show safety or efficacy. |
• | Potential failure to obtain or maintain regulatory approvals for our product candidates. |
• | Our primary research and development efforts are focused on CAR-T cell therapies, which are emerging treatments that face significant challenges and hurdles. |
• | Our product candidates require significant preclinical study and clinical trials. |
S-3
Table of Contents
• | The difficulties associated with designing and implementing clinical trials. |
• | Our dependence on enrollment of patients in clinical trials for development of our product candidates. |
• | Risks associated with investigator-initiated clinical trials in which we do not have full control are conducted. |
• | Certain product opportunities may face limited market opportunities. |
• | Adverse side effects or other safety risks associated with our product candidates. |
• | Our ability to create manufacturing infrastructure or to operate manufacturing facilities effectively and cost efficiently. |
• | The difficulties in manufacture of complex biologics. |
• | Human and systemic risks associated with T cell therapy. |
Risks Related to Our Business Operations
• | Economic, political, regulatory and other risks associated with international operations. |
• | Potential difficulties in growing operations and attracting and retaining key personnel. |
• | Risks associated with potential acquisitions or strategic collaborations. |
• | Dependence on information technology systems. |
• | Any failure to comply with various governmental laws and regulations. |
• | The effect of epidemics and pandemics, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, or other business disruptions on our business. |
• | Risks associated with any failure to implement and maintain effective internal controls over financial reporting. |
Risks Related to Our Dependence on Third Parties
• | Our dependence on third parties, such as Janssen, for development, manufacturing and commercialization of our product candidates. |
• | Our reliance on third parties to conduct our preclinical and clinical trials and the potential that such third parties may not perform satisfactorily. |
• | The availability of reagents, specialized equipment and other specialty materials. |
Risks Related to Regulatory Approval of Our Product Candidates and Other Legal Compliance Matters
• | The risks and costs associated with complying with a rigorous, complex and evolving regulatory framework, including stringent clinical trial regulations, pre-marketing regulatory requirements, pricing, reimbursement and cost-containment regulations, and rigorous ongoing regulation of approved products. |
• | The effect of price controls in certain jurisdictions on our revenue and commercialization. |
Risks Related to the Commercialization of Our Product Candidates
• | The dependence of our success on our ability to establish sales, marketing and distribution capabilities. |
S-4
Table of Contents
• | The highly competitive and rapidly changing nature of the biopharmaceutical industry. |
• | The acceptance of new products in the medical community and marketplace. |
• | Potential product liability risks. |
Risks Related to Our Intellectual Property
• | Our ability to obtain, maintain and enforce intellectual property protection for our products and disparities in intellectual property rights throughout the world. |
• | Our ability to successfully defend ourselves in legal proceedings and protect our intellectual property, and the significant increase in legal expenses as a result of such proceedings. |
• | The cost and complexity associated with intellectual property proceedings. |
Risks Related to Doing Business in China
• | Risks related to doing business in China, including the impact of extensive Chinese regulation on the pharmaceutical industry. |
• | The heightened level of government involvement in the Chinese economy and uncertainties regarding legal protections. |
• | The adverse effect of an ongoing investigation involving our majority shareholder and former CEO and chairman. |
• | Monetary, economic, political, environmental, social, and trade disputes between the United States and China. |
• | The heightened level of actions by the U.S. Department of Commerce targeting Chinese companies. |
Risks Related to Our Organizational Structure
• | Our organizational structure may create significant conflicts of interest. |
• | The impact of Genscript Biotech Corporation’s, or Genscript’s, significant control over us as our majority shareholder. |
• | The more limited protections afforded to shareholders as a result of our status as a controlled company, an emerging growth company and a foreign private issuer. |
Risks Related to this Offering and Our Securities
• | Risks associated with owning our ADSs, including volatility in our trading price due to our business and financial performance. |
• | The immediate dilution you will suffer if you invest in this offering. |
IMPLICATIONS OF BEING AN EMERGING GROWTH COMPANY
As a company with less than $1.07 billion in revenue for the last fiscal year, we qualify as an “emerging growth company” pursuant to the JOBS Act. An emerging growth company may take advantage of specified reduced reporting and other requirements that are otherwise applicable generally to public companies. These provisions include
S-5
Table of Contents
exemption from the auditor attestation requirement under Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or Section 404, related to the assessment of the effectiveness of the emerging growth company’s internal control over financial reporting. We have elected to take advantage of such exemptions.
We will remain an emerging growth company until the earliest of (a) the last day of our fiscal year during which we have total annual gross revenues of at least $1.07 billion; (b) December 31, 2025; (c) the date on which we have, during the previous three-year period, issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt; or (d) the date on which we are deemed to be a “large accelerated filer” under the Exchange Act, which would occur if the market value of our ADSs that are held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the last business day of our most recently completed second fiscal quarter. Once we cease to be an emerging growth company, we will not be entitled to the exemptions provided in the JOBS Act discussed above.
IMPLICATIONS OF BEING A FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER AND A CONTROLLED COMPANY
We currently report under the Exchange Act as a non-U.S. company with foreign private issuer status. Even after we no longer qualify as an emerging growth company, as long as we qualify as a foreign private issuer under the Exchange Act we will be exempt from certain provisions of the Exchange Act that are applicable to U.S. domestic public companies, including:
• | the sections of the Exchange Act regulating the solicitation of proxies, consents or authorizations in respect of a security registered under the Exchange Act; |
• | the sections of the Exchange Act requiring insiders to file public reports of their share ownership and trading activities and liability for insiders who profit from trades made in a short period of time; and |
• | the rules under the Exchange Act requiring the filing with the SEC of quarterly reports on Form 10-Q containing unaudited financial and other specified information, or current reports on Form 8-K, upon the occurrence of specified significant events. |
Both foreign private issuers and emerging growth companies are also exempt from certain more stringent executive compensation disclosure rules. Thus, even if we no longer qualify as an emerging growth company, but remain a foreign private issuer, we will continue to be exempt from the more stringent compensation disclosures required of companies that are neither an emerging growth company nor a foreign private issuer.
We are a “controlled company” as defined under the Nasdaq Stock Market Rules because our majority shareholder, Genscript, as of October 31, 2021, beneficially owns 58.4% of our ordinary shares representing 58.4% of the voting power of our total issued and outstanding shares and will continue to own 57.1% of our ordinary shares representing 57.1% of the voting power of our total issued and outstanding shares immediately after the completion of this offering, assuming Genscript purchases 2,250,000 ADSs in this offering and that the underwriters do not exercise their option to purchase additional ADSs. Under the Nasdaq Stock Market Rules, a “controlled company” may elect not to comply with certain corporate governance requirements, including the Nasdaq corporate governance rules requiring a board of directors to have:
• | a majority of independent directors; |
• | an independent compensation committee; and |
• | an independent nominations/corporate governance committees. |
We have utilized and plan to continue utilizing the “controlled company” exemptions with respect to our corporate governance practice after we complete this offering.
S-6
Table of Contents
CORPORATE HISTORY AND INFORMATION
We are an exempted company incorporated in the Cayman Islands with limited liability. We commenced our operations in China in November 2014 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Genscript. In May 2015, we incorporated Legend Biotech Corporation under the laws of the Cayman Islands, which became our ultimate holding company through a series of transactions.
Our principal executive offices are located at 2101 Cottontail Lane, Somerset, New Jersey 08873. Our telephone number at this address is (732) 317-5050. Our registered office in the Cayman Islands is located at 4th Floor, Harbour Place, 103 South Church Street, P.O. Box 10240, Grand Cayman KY1-1002, Cayman Islands. Investors should submit any inquiries to the address and telephone number of our principal executive offices set forth above.
Our main website is www.legendbiotech.com. The information contained on this website is not a part of this prospectus supplement.
“Legend Biotech,” the Legend logo and other trademarks or service marks of Legend Biotech Corporation appearing in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus are the property of Legend Biotech Corporation. Trade names, trademarks and service marks of other companies appearing in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus are the property of their respective holders.
CONVENTIONS THAT APPLY TO THIS PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT
Unless otherwise indicated or the context otherwise requires, references in this prospectus supplement to:
• | “ADSs” are to the American depositary shares, each of which represents two of our ordinary shares; |
• | “ADRs” are to the American depositary receipts that evidence the ADSs; |
• | “China” or “PRC” refers to the People’s Republic of China, excluding, for the purpose of this prospectus supplement only, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Macau Special Administrative Region and Taiwan; “Greater China” does not exclude Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Macau Special Administrative Region and Taiwan; |
• | “ordinary shares” are to ordinary shares of our company, par value $0.0001 per share; and |
• | “US$,” “U.S. dollars,” “$,” or “dollars” are to the legal currency of the United States. |
S-7
Table of Contents
THE OFFERING
ADSs offered by us | 7,500,000 ADSs. |
Ordinary shares to be outstanding immediately after this offering | 305,661,844 ordinary shares (or 307,911,844 ordinary shares if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional ADSs in full). |
Option to purchase additional ADSs | We have granted the underwriters an option, exercisable within 30 days from the date of this prospectus supplement, to purchase up to an additional 1,125,000 ADSs from us. |
American Depositary Shares | Each ADS represents two ordinary shares. |
The depositary will hold ordinary shares underlying your ADSs. You will have rights as provided in the deposit agreement among us, the depositary and owners and holders of ADSs from time to time. |
We do not expect to pay dividends in the foreseeable future. If, however, we declare dividends on our ordinary shares, the depositary will distribute the cash dividends and other distributions it receives on our ordinary shares after deducting its fees and expenses in accordance with the terms set forth in the deposit agreement. |
You may surrender your ADSs to the depositary for cancellation in exchange for ordinary shares. The depositary will charge you fees for any cancellation. |
We may amend or terminate the deposit agreement without your consent. If you continue to hold your ADSs after an amendment to the deposit agreement, you agree to be bound by the deposit agreement as amended. |
To better understand the terms of the ADSs, you should carefully read the “Description of American Depositary Shares” section of the accompanying prospectus. You should also read the deposit agreement, which is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement to which this prospectus supplement relates. |
Depositary | JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. |
Use of proceeds | We estimate that the net proceeds to us from this offering, after deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us, to be approximately $281.5 million (or $323.8 million if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional ADSs in full). We intend to use the net proceeds from this offering, together with our existing cash and cash equivalents, to fund the clinical development of cilta-cel, fund the construction of our manufacturing facilities, fund the commercial |
S-8
Table of Contents
launch, if approved, of cilta-cel and fund the development of our pipeline programs, as well as for working capital and other general corporate purposes. See “Use of Proceeds” for additional information. |
Genscript’s purchase of ADSs in this offering | Genscript, our majority shareholder, has agreed to purchase 2,250,000 of our ADSs at the public offering price of $40.00 per ADS in this offering. The underwriters will receive the same underwriting discount on any ADSs purchased by Genscript as they will on any other ADSs sold to the public in this offering. |
Lock-up | We, our officers and directors and certain shareholders have agreed with the underwriters not to sell, transfer or dispose of any ADSs, ordinary shares or similar securities for a period of 90 days after the date of this prospectus supplement, subject to certain exceptions. See “Underwriters.” |
Risk factors | Investing in our ADSs involves a high degree of risk. Please read the information contained in and incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement under the heading “Risk Factors” beginning on page S-10 of this prospectus supplement before deciding whether to invest in our ADSs. |
The Nasdaq Global Select Market symbol | “LEGN” |
The number of ordinary shares that will be outstanding immediately after this offering is based on 290,661,844 ordinary shares outstanding as of September 30, 2021, and excludes:
• | 10,124,074 ordinary shares issuable upon the exercise of options outstanding as of September 30, 2021, with a weighted average exercise price of $2.86 per ordinary share; |
• | 2,733,095 ordinary shares issuable upon the vesting of restricted share units outstanding as of September 30, 2021; |
• | 10,000,000 ordinary shares issuable upon the exercise of an outstanding warrant as of September 30, 2021, with an exercise price of $20.00 per ordinary share; |
• | 4,604,466 ordinary shares available for future issuance under our Share Option Scheme as of September 30, 2021; and |
• | 8,014,631 ordinary shares available for future issuance under our Restricted Share Unit Incentive Plan as of September 30, 2021. |
Except as otherwise noted, the information in this prospectus supplement assumes the following:
• | no exercise by the underwriters of their option to purchase additional ADSs; and |
• | no exercise of outstanding options or warrants or vesting of the restricted share units described above. |
S-9
Table of Contents
Investing in our ADSs involves a high degree of risk. Before deciding whether to invest in our ADSs, you should consider carefully the risks described below and in the section “Item3.D-Risk Factors” of our Annual Report, which is incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus in its entirety, together with the other information in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus, the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein, and any free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of us or to which we have referred you. Each of the risk factors could adversely affect our business, operating results and financial condition, as well as adversely affect the value of an investment in our ADSs, 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.
Risks Related to Our Business
We are or may become subject to a variety of privacy and data security laws, policies and contractual obligations, and our failure or failure of our third-party vendors, collaborators, contractors or consultants to comply with existing or future laws and regulations related to privacy or data security could lead to government enforcement actions, which could include civil or criminal fines or penalties, private litigation, other liabilities, and/or adverse publicity. Compliance or the failure to comply with such laws could increase the costs, could limit their use or adoption, and could otherwise negatively affect our operating results and business.
We maintain and process, and our third-party vendors, collaborators, contractors and consultants maintain and process on our behalf, sensitive information, including confidential business and personal information, including but not limited to health information in connection with our preclinical and clinical studies and our employees, and are subject to laws and regulations governing the privacy and security of such information. Failure by us, our third- party vendors, collaborators, contractors and consultants to comply with any of these laws and regulations could result in enforcement action against us, including fines, imprisonment of company officials and public censure, claims for damages by affected individuals, damage to our reputation and loss of goodwill, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects.
Regulatory authorities in China have implemented and are considering a number of legislative and regulatory proposals concerning data protection. On March 17, 2018, the General Office of the PRC State Council promulgated the Measures for the Management of Scientific Data (the Scientific Data Measures) which provide a broad definition of scientific data and relevant rules for the management of scientific data. According to the Scientific Data Measures, any scientific data involving state secret, state security, social public interests, commercial secret or personal privacy may not be open and shared; where openness is indeed needed, the purpose, user’s qualification, conditions of confidentiality and other factors shall be reviewed, and the informing scope shall be strictly controlled. Further, any researcher conducting research funded, at least in part, by the PRC government is required to submit relevant scientific data for management by the entity to which such researcher is affiliated before such data may be published in any foreign academic journal. China’s Cyber Security Law, which became effective in June 2017, created China’s national-level data protection for “network operators,” which may include all organizations in China that provide services over the internet or another information network. Numerous regulations, guidelines and other measures are expected to be adopted under the umbrella of the Cyber Security Law. Furthermore, the Opinions on Strictly Cracking Down on Illegal Securities Activities, which was issued by the General Office of the State Council and another authority on July 6, 2021, requires the speed-up of the revision of the provisions on strengthening the confidentiality and archives management related to overseas issuance and listing of securities, and improvement to the laws and regulations related to data security, cross-border data flow, and management of confidential information. China’s Data Security Laws, which was promulgated by the Standing Committee of PRC National People’s Congress, or the SCNPC, on
S-10
Table of Contents
June 10, 2021 and became effective on September 1, 2021, outlines the main system framework of data security protection. The Personal Information Protection Law promulgated by the SCNPC on August 20, 2021 and became effective on November 1, 2021, which outlines the main system framework of personal information protection and processing. Drafts of some of these measures have now been published, including the draft rules on the Measures for the Security Assessment of Personal Information and Important Data to be Transmitted Abroad published by the Cyberspace Administration of China, or the CAC, in 2017, which may, upon enactment, require security review before transferring human health-related data out of China. In addition, the draft amendment to the Measures for Cyber Security Review, or the Draft Measures, was published by the CAC on July 10, 2021 and was issued for soliciting public comment until July 25, 2021. Comparing with the current Measures for Cyber Security Review, the changes under the Draft Measures include without limitation the following aspects: (i) “data processing operators” are incorporated into the regulatory scope; (ii) the China Securities Regulatory Commission, or the CSRC, is included as one of the authorities for jointly establishing the state cyber security review working mechanism; (iii) an application for cyber security review must be made by an issuer who is a “critical information infrastructure operator” or a “data processing operator” as defined therein (each an “operator” as defined under the Draft Measures) before such issuer’s securities become listed in a foreign country if such issuer possesses personal information of more than 1 million users, (iv) the operators’ purchase of network products and services that affect or may affect national security will be subject to the cybersecurity review, and (v) the risk of core data, material data or large volume of personal information being stolen, leaked, damaged, illegally used or cross-border transmitted and the risk of critical information infrastructure, core data, material data or large volume of personal information being influenced, controlled or used out of malevolence by the government of foreign country after relevant operators’ securities being listed on a stock exchange of a foreign country shall be considered as one of the factors for evaluating the national security risks that may be brought by procurement activities, data processing activities and overseas listing. Regulations on the Security Protection of Critical Information Infrastructure, which was promulgated by the State Council of the PRC on July 30, 2021 and became effective on September 1, 2021, or the CII Protection Regulations, stipulates the obligations and liabilities of the regulators, society and critical information infrastructure operators, or the CIIOs, in protecting the security of critical information infrastructure, or the CII. According to the CII Protection Regulations, regulators supervising specific industries shall formulate detailed guidance to recognize the CII in the respective sectors, and CIIOs shall take the responsibility to protect the CII’s security by performing certain prescribed obligations. For example, CIIOs are required to conduct network security test and risk assessment, report the assessment results to relevant regulatory authorities, and timely rectify the issues identified at least once a year. The draft Regulations for the Administration of Cyber Data Security, or the Draft Data Security Regulations, published by the CAC on November 14, 2021 for public comments until December 13, 2021 reiterates that a data processor who processes personal information of more than 1 million individuals shall go through the cyber security review if it intends to be listed in a foreign country, and if a data processor conducts any data processing activities that affect or may affect national security, an application for cyber security review shall also be made by such processor. And the Draft Data Security Regulations require data processors processing important data or being listed outside China shall carry out data security assessment annually by itself or through a third party data security service provider and submit assessment report to local agency of the CAC. The Draft Data Security Regulations provide a broad definition of data processing activities, including collection, storage, usage, processing, transfer, provision, publication, deletion and other activities, and the Draft Data Security Regulations also provide a broad definition of data processor as individuals and entities which autonomously determine the purpose and method during data processing activities. However, the Draft Data Security Regulations provide no further elaboration on what constitutes a situation that “affects or may affect national security” and are subject to further changes before being formally adopted and coming into effect.
As of the date of this prospectus supplement, no detailed rules or implementation of the Draft Measures or the Draft Data Security Regulations have been issued by the CAC, and the PRC governmental authorities may have wide discretion in the interpretation and enforcement of these laws and regulations. It also remains uncertain whether the future regulatory changes would impose additional restrictions on companies like us. We cannot predict the impact of the Draft Measures and/or the Draft Data Security Regulations, if any, at this stage, and we will closely monitor and assess any development in the rulemaking process. If the enacted version of the
S-11
Table of Contents
Draft Measures and/or the Draft Data Security Regulations requires any clearance of cybersecurity review and other specific actions to be completed by companies like us, we face uncertainties as to whether such clearance can be timely obtained, or at all. If we are not able to comply with the cybersecurity and data privacy requirements in a timely manner, or at all, we may be subject to government enforcement actions and investigations, fines, penalties, or suspension of our non-compliant operations, among other sanctions, which could materially and adversely affect our business and results of operations. We have been making constant efforts to comply with the relevant data protection laws and regulations in the PRC and will endeavor to comply with any update in the applicable laws, regulations or guidelines as issued by any relevant regulatory authorities in the PRC. However, we cannot assure you that we are able to comply with any applicable privacy and data security laws, regulations and guidelines in a timely manner, or at all.
In addition, certain industry-specific laws and regulations affect the collection and transfer of personal data in China. For example, the PRC State Council promulgated Regulations on the Administration of Human Genetic Resources (effective in July 2019), which require approval/filing from the Science and Technology Administration Department of the PRC State Council where human genetic resources are involved in any international collaborative project and additional approval, filing and backup for any export or cross-border transfer of the human genetic resources samples or associated data or for providing/offering access of the information on human genetic resources to foreign entities and the institutions established or actually controlled thereby. We cannot assure you that we have complied or will be able to comply with all applicable human genetic resources related regulations. It is possible that these laws may be interpreted and applied in a manner that is inconsistent with our practices, potentially resulting in confiscation of human genetic resources samples and associated data and administrative fines. As there are still uncertainties regarding the further enaction of new laws and regulations as well as the revision, interpretation and implementation of those existing laws and regulations, we cannot assure you that we will be able to comply with such regulations in all respects, and we may be ordered to make rectification and terminate any actions that are deemed illegal by the regulatory authorities and become subject to fines and/or other sanctions. As a result, we may be required to suspend our related businesses or face other penalties which may have material adverse effect on our business, operations and financial condition.
In May 2018, a new privacy regime, the General Data Protection Regulation, or the GDPR, took effect in the European Economic Area, or the EEA, into which we may expand our business. The GDPR governs the collection, use, disclosure, transfer or other processing of personal data of European persons. Among other things, the GDPR imposes requirements regarding the security of personal data and notification of data processing obligations to the competent national data processing authorities, changes the lawful bases on which personal data can be processed, expands the definition of personal data and requires changes to informed consent practices, as well as more detailed notices for clinical trial subjects and investigators. In addition, the GDPR increases the scrutiny of transfers of personal data from clinical trial sites located in the EEA to the United States and other jurisdictions that the European Commission does not recognize as having “adequate” data protection laws, and imposes substantial fines for breaches and violations (up to the greater of €20 million or 4% of our consolidated annual worldwide gross revenue). The GDPR also confers a private right of action on data subjects and consumer associations to lodge complaints with supervisory authorities, seek judicial remedies and obtain compensation for damages resulting from violations of the GDPR. Further, while the United Kingdom enacted the Data Protection Act 2018 in May 2018 that supplements the GDPR and has publicly announced that it will continue to regulate the protection of personal data in the same way post-Brexit, Brexit has created uncertainty with regard to the future of regulation of data protection in the United Kingdom. Some countries also are considering or have passed legislation requiring local storage and processing of data, or similar requirements, which could increase the cost and complexity of delivering our products and services.
In the United States, there are numerous federal and state privacy and data security laws and regulations governing the collection, use, disclosure and protection of personal information, including federal and state health information privacy laws, federal and state security breach notification laws, and federal and state consumer protection laws. Each of these constantly evolving laws can be subject to varying interpretations. For
S-12
Table of Contents
example, regulations promulgated pursuant to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, or HIPAA, establish privacy and security standards that limit the use and disclosure of individually identifiable health information, or protected health information, and require the implementation of administrative, physical and technological safeguards to protect the privacy of protected health information and ensure the confidentiality, integrity and availability of electronic protected health information. Determining whether protected health information has been handled in compliance with applicable privacy standards and our contractual obligations can be complex and may be subject to changing interpretation. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, or HHS, has the discretion to impose penalties without attempting to first resolve violations. HHS enforcement activity can result in financial liability and reputational harm, and responses to such enforcement activity can consume significant internal resources.
In addition, states are constantly adopting new laws or amending existing laws, requiring attention to frequently changing regulatory requirements. For example, California enacted the California Consumer Privacy Act, or the CCPA, on June 28, 2018, which took effect on January 1, 2020 and has been dubbed the first “GDPR- like” law in the United States. The CCPA gives California residents expanded rights to access and delete their personal information, opt out of certain personal information sharing and receive detailed information about how their personal information is used by requiring covered companies to provide new disclosures to California consumers (as that term is broadly defined and can include any of our current or future employees who may be California residents) and provide such residents new ways to opt-out of certain sales of personal information. The CCPA provides for civil penalties for violations, as well as a private right of action for data breaches that is expected to increase data breach litigation. As we expand our operations and trials (both preclinical or clinical), the CCPA may increase our compliance costs and potential liability. Some observers have noted that the CCPA could mark the beginning of a trend toward more stringent privacy legislation in the United States. Other states are beginning to pass similar laws.
Many statutory requirements, both in the United States and abroad, include obligations for companies to notify individuals of security breaches involving certain personal information, which could result from breaches experienced by us or our third-party service providers. For example, laws in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia require businesses to provide notice to consumers whose personal information has been disclosed as a result of a data breach. These laws are not consistent, and compliance in the event of a widespread data breach is difficult and may be costly. Moreover, states have been frequently amending existing laws, requiring attention to changing regulatory requirements. We also may be contractually required to notify customers or other counterparties of a security breach. Any contractual protections we may have from our third-party service providers, contractors or consultants may not be sufficient to adequately protect us from any such liabilities and losses, and we may be unable to enforce any such contractual protections.
We expect that there will continue to be new proposed laws and regulations concerning data privacy and security, and we cannot yet determine the impact such future laws, regulations and standards may have on our business. New laws, amendments to or re-interpretations of existing laws, regulations, standards and other obligations may require us to incur additional costs and restrict our business operations. Because the interpretation and application of health-related and data protection laws, regulations, standards and other obligations are still uncertain, and often contradictory and in flux, it is possible that the scope and requirements of these laws may be interpreted and applied in a manner that is inconsistent with our practices and our efforts to comply with the evolving data protection rules may be unsuccessful. If so, this could result in government- imposed fines or orders requiring that we change our practices, which could adversely affect our business. In addition, these privacy regulations may differ from country to country, and may vary based on whether testing is performed in the United States or in the local country and our operations or business practices may not comply with these regulations in each country.
Compliance with these and any other applicable privacy and data security laws and regulations is a rigorous and time-intensive process, and we may be required to put in place additional mechanisms ensuring compliance with the new data protection rules. If we or our third-party vendors, collaborators, contractors and consultants fail
S-13
Table of Contents
to comply with any such laws or regulations, we may face regulatory investigations, significant fines and penalties, reputational damage or be required to change our business practices, all of which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Risks Related to Doing Business in China
The approval of the China Securities Regulatory Commission or other governmental authority may be required.
On August 8, 2006, six PRC regulatory agencies, including the China Securities Regulatory Commission, or the CSRC, promulgated the Provisions on the Merger or Acquisition of Domestic Enterprises by Foreign Investors, or the M&A Rules, which became effective on September 8, 2006 and was amended on June 22, 2009. The M&A Rules, among other things, requires offshore SPVs formed for the purpose of an overseas listing and controlled by PRC companies or individuals, to obtain the CSRC approval prior to listing their securities on an overseas stock exchange. The application of this regulation remains unclear. Our PRC legal counsel has advised us that, based on their understanding of the current PRC laws, the CSRC approval was not required under the M&A Rules in the context of our initial public offering because the ownership structure of our PRC subsidiaries was established by direct investment instead of through acquisition of equity interests or assets of any PRC domestic company by foreign entities as defined under the M&A Rules.
However, we have been advised by our PRC legal counsel that there are uncertainties regarding the interpretation and application of the PRC laws and regulations, and there can be no assurance that the PRC government will ultimately take a view that is not contrary to the above opinion of our PRC legal counsel. Furthermore, the recently issued Opinions on Strictly Cracking Down on Illegal Securities Activities emphasized the need to strengthen the supervision on overseas listings by China-based companies and provided that the special provisions of the State Council on overseas issuance and listing of shares by those companies limited by shares will be revised. There are still uncertainties regarding the interpretation and implementation of these Opinions, and further explanations or detailed rules and regulations with respect to these Opinions may be issued in the future which could impose additional requirements on us.
In addition, the draft amendment to the Measures for Cyber Security Review published by the CAC on July 10, 2021 provides that an application for cyber security review must be made by an issuer who is a “critical information infrastructure operator” or a “data processing operator” as defined therein before such issuer’s securities become listed in a foreign country if such issuer possesses personal information of more than 1 million users, and that the relevant governmental authorities in the PRC may initiate cyber security review if such governmental authorities determine an operator’s cyber products or services, data processing or listing in a foreign country affect or may affect national security. The draft Regulations for the Administration of Cyber Data Security, published by the CAC on November 14, 2021 for public comments, reiterates that a data processor who processes personal information of more than 1 million individuals shall go through the cyber security review if it intends to be listed in a foreign country, and if an issuer conducts any data processing activities that affect or may affect national security, an application for cyber security review shall also be made by such processor.
If the CSRC, CAC or other PRC regulatory body subsequently determines that we need to obtain the approval from the CSRC, CAC or other PRC regulatory body for this offering or if the CSRC, CAC or any other PRC government authorities promulgates any interpretation or implements rules before our offering that would require us to obtain the approval from the CSRC, CAC or other governmental authorities for this offering, we may face adverse actions or sanctions by the CSRC, CAC or other PRC regulatory agencies. In any such event, these regulatory agencies may impose fines and penalties on our operations in China, limit our operating privileges in China, delay or restrict the repatriation of the proceeds from this offering into China or take other actions that could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, reputation and prospects, as well as our ability to complete this offering.
S-14
Table of Contents
We may be adversely affected by an ongoing investigation involving our majority shareholder and our former chief executive officer and Chairman. Although we and Genscript have conducted targeted internal reviews relating to the investigation, Genscript has not conducted a comprehensive internal review of all transactions it handled on behalf of us prior to our initial public offering, and there can be no assurance that the investigation will not involve us or that the Authority or other governmental authority will not pursue criminal or civil remedies against us or our directors, officers or employees in the future, including sanctions, monetary penalties and regulatory actions, which could adversely affect us.
Our majority shareholder, Genscript, and Dr. Fangliang Zhang, our former chairman and chief executive officer, and the former chairman and chief executive officer of Genscript, are currently under investigation by the Customs Anti-Smuggling Department of Zhenjiang, or the Authority, in the PRC. The Authority’s inspection included places of business in Nanjing and Zhenjiang, China, of Genscript, and certain of its subsidiaries, including our location in Nanjing. The inspections are in connection with what we believe to be an investigation relating to suspected violations of import and export regulations under the laws of the PRC, which has, to date, focused on Genscript’s import and export activity preceding our initial public offering in June 2020, at which time we were a subsidiary of Genscript and Dr. Zhang was chairman and chief executive officer of Genscript. Following a period of residential surveillance and arrest by PRC law enforcement, Dr. Zhang was released on bail by the Authority on February 9, 2021. Two Genscript employees had also been placed under arrest. Five of our employees have been questioned by the PRC authorities about their prior roles at Genscript. One of these five employees, who was previously a Genscript employee, was briefly detained and this employee is currently released on bail. In May 2021, Dr. Zhang and the four employees of Genscript, along with two PRC subsidiaries of Genscript, were notified by the Authority that the investigation was complete, and that their respective matter had been handed over to the Zhenjiang Municipal People’s Procuratorate, or the Procuratorate, for examination and possible prosecution. In July 2021, the Procuratorate returned the case to the Authority for supplementary investigation. As of the date of this prospectus supplement, the supplementary investigation is completed and the Authority has handed the case back to the Procuratorate. Whether or when the Procuratorate will pursue pressing any charges against GenScript, Dr. Zhang or Genscript employees remains undecided. To the best of our knowledge, no charges have been filed to date against Dr. Zhang, Genscript or us and the Authority has not notified us that we are a target of the Authority’s investigation.
The Audit Committee of our Board of Directors engaged external counsel to conduct an internal review of our import and export transactions. The review identified no apparent issues with respect to transactions conducted since our initial public offering in June 2020. However, transactions prior to July 2020 were handled by Genscript on our behalf, which limits our ability to review such transactions. While Genscript, with the assistance of its external counsel, conducted a targeted review based on feedback from its communications with the Authority, it has not conducted a comprehensive internal review of all transactions it handled on behalf of us prior to our initial public offering. Accordingly, our ability to ascertain the risk of our exposure to the Authority’s investigation is limited and there is a risk that we may become a subject of the Authority’s investigation, and thereafter subject to proceedings, penalties and restrictions on our activities, which could adversely affect us.
While no charges have been filed against us or any of our officers or directors, and we understand that we are not a target of the Authority’s investigation at this time, we believe that the investigation has had an adverse impact on the price of our ADSs and ordinary shares, and could continue to have such an adverse impact, particularly if charges are brought against Genscript or Dr. Zhang, if PRC authorities seek to impose restrictions on Genscript’s or our activities, or if the Authority decides to investigate us, our officers, employees or directors in the context of its investigation of Genscript and Dr. Zhang or otherwise, or if any of our or Genscript’s executive officers are subjected to residential surveillance, detention, arrest, charges or imprisonment. As of October 31, 2021, (i) Dr. Zhang directly owns 14.5% of the issued and outstanding ordinary shares of Genscript, plus 1.4% of ordinary shares of Genscript through his trust, (ii) Genscript, in turn, beneficially owns 58.4% of our ordinary shares, and (iii) two out of six of the members of our board of directors are employees of Genscript.
S-15
Table of Contents
Furthermore, despite the fact that Dr. Zhang is no longer one of our executive officers or directors, Dr. Zhang may still be able to influence us and/or Genscript, and such influence, or the perception that Dr. Zhang exerts such influence over us and/or Genscript, may lead to further investigations by the Authority or other governmental authorities, and have an adverse impact on the price of our ADSs and ordinary shares. In each situation, our management’s attention may be diverted, management of our operations could be adversely affected, significant expenses could be incurred, our reputation and ability to raise capital in the future may be harmed, and there could be a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects, especially if there is an adverse outcome.
Additionally, any investigation could damage our reputation or cause our existing collaboration partner, Janssen, and other third parties to terminate existing agreements and potential partners to seek other partners, any of which could impact our results of operations. Separately, Genscript has conveyed that in the course of the Authority’s inspection of Genscript, the Authority has also identified nine imports, which Genscript handled on behalf of the Company prior to the IPO, in respect of which there may be minor non-compliance issues concerning import declarations, which are distinct from the matters that have been the focus of the Authority’s investigation. Genscript has informed us that it believes that Genscript is the target of the Authority’s inquiries with respect to these import declaration matters, and the Authority has not contacted us with respect to such import declaration matters.
Our business may be significantly affected by the newly enacted Foreign Investment Law and the “negative list.”
On March 15, 2019, the PRC’s National People’s Congress promulgated the Foreign Investment Law, which took effect on January 1, 2020 and replaced three existing laws regulating foreign investment in China, namely, the PRC Equity Joint Venture Law, the PRC Cooperative Joint Venture Law and the Wholly Foreign owned Enterprise Law, together with their implementation rules and ancillary regulations. The Foreign Investment Law grants foreign invested entities the same treatment as PRC domestic entities, except for those foreign invested entities that operate in industries deemed to be either “restricted” or “prohibited” in the “negative list” published by the State Council. We are a Cayman Islands company and our PRC subsidiaries, Nanjing Legend Biotech Co., Ltd., or Legend Nanjing, and Hainan Chuanji Biotech Co., Ltd., or Legend Hainan, are currently considered to be foreign invested entities. Legend Hainan was established in October, 2021. As of the date of this prospectus supplement, Legend Hainan is not engaged in substantive business operations in the PRC.
The latest version of the “negative list,” namely, the Special Management Measures (Negative List) for the Access of Foreign Investment (2020), which was promulgated by the Ministry of Commerce (“MOFCOM”) and the National Development and Reform Commission (“NDRC”) and became effective on July 23, 2020, provides that foreign investment is prohibited in the development and application of human stem cell or gene diagnostic and therapeutic technologies. As of the date of this prospectus supplement, there has been no official interpretation of the scope of “human stem cell or gene diagnostic and therapeutic technologies” specified in the Negative List and the application of this regulation remains unclear. The Encouraged Industry Catalogue for Foreign Investment (2020), or the 2020 Encouraged Industry Catalogue, which was promulgated by the MOFCOM and the NDRC and became effective on January 27, 2021, provides that foreign investment is encouraged in the development and production of cell therapy drugs except in areas where foreign investment is prohibited. Besides, the Technical Guidelines for Clinical Trials of Immune cell Therapy Products (Trial), or Technical Guidelines for Clinical Trials, which was published by the Center for Drug Evaluation of National Medical Products Administration, or the CDE, on February 10, 2021, provides that CAR-T, as a kind of immune cell therapy products, has the nature of gene therapy products. The Technical Guidelines for Clinical Trials was issued for sponsors’ references, and is not compulsory or to identify the regulatory nature or classification of immune cell therapy products, and is subject to modifications and improvements from time to time. On December 3, 2021, the CDE published the Technical Guidelines for Non-clinical Research and Evaluation of Gene Therapy Products (Trial) (“Technical Guidelines for Gene Therapy Products”) and Technical Guidelines
S-16
Table of Contents
for Non-clinical Research of Gene Modified Cell Therapy Products (Trial) (“Technical Guidelines for Gene Modified Cell Therapy Products”), which became effective as of the date of promulgation. The Technical Guidelines for Gene Therapy Products provides that it is applicable to gene therapy products other than genetically modified cells therapy products, and genetically modified cells therapy products, such as CAR-T cell therapy products, shall refer to the Technical Guidelines for Gene Modified Cell Therapy Products, which was formulated according to the Technical Guidelines for the Research and Evaluation of Cell Therapy Products (Trial).
Legend Nanjing is engaged in the research and development of CAR-T cell therapies. We believe the CAR-T cell therapies, as they are currently being researched and developed by Legend Nanjing, do not involve the use of human stem cells or genetic diagnosis and treatment, and as such should not fall into the category of “human stem cell or gene diagnostic and therapeutic technologies” under the negative list. Moreover, relevant governmental authorities also confirmed the research and development of CAR-T cell therapies currently engaged in by Legend Nanjing complies with the requirements of foreign investment industrial policies. We have been advised by our PRC legal counsel, JunHe LLP, that Legend Nanjing has complied with PRC laws and regulations in all material respects for, and obtained all material governmental approvals and permits from PRC regulatory agencies for, the research and development of CAR-T cell therapies. However, we have been advised by our PRC legal counsel that there are uncertainties regarding the interpretation and application of the PRC laws and regulations, and there can be no assurance that the PRC government will ultimately take a view that is not contrary to our view and the opinion of our PRC legal counsel above. If our CAR-T cell therapies or other technologies that are being researched and developed by Legend Nanjing are deemed by relevant PRC regulatory agencies as falling into the category of “human stem cell or gene diagnostic and therapeutic technologies” under the negative list, Legend Nanjing would be prohibited from engaging in the research or development of such CAR-T cell therapies or other technologies. In that event, we may have to stop investing in Legend Nanjing or consider restructuring Legend Nanjing as a PRC domestic entity and our variable interest entity. Legend Nanjing may also have to forfeit its income derived from the research and development of such technologies. Any of these occurrences may harm our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations significantly.
Failure to comply with PRC regulations regarding the registration or filing requirements for employee stock ownership plans or share option plans may subject the plan participants or us to fines and other legal or administrative sanctions.
Under the applicable regulations and SAFE rules, PRC citizens who participate in an employee stock ownership plan or a stock option plan in an overseas publicly listed company are required to register with SAFE and complete certain other procedures. In February 2012, SAFE promulgated the Notices on Issues concerning the Foreign Exchange Administration for Domestic Individuals Participating in Stock Incentive Plans of Overseas Publicly Listed Companies, or the Stock Option Rules, which replaced the Application Procedures of Foreign Exchange Administration for Domestic Individuals Participating in Employee Stock Ownership Plan or Stock Option Plans of Overseas Publicly Listed Companies issued by SAFE in March 2007. Pursuant to the Stock Option Rules, if a PRC resident participates in any stock incentive plan of an overseas publicly listed company, a qualified PRC domestic agent must, among other things, file on behalf of such participant an application with SAFE to conduct the SAFE registration with respect to such stock incentive plan and obtain approval for an annual allowance with respect to the purchase of foreign exchange in connection with the exercise or sale of stock options or stock such participant holds. Such participating PRC residents’ foreign exchange income received from the sale of stock and dividends distributed by the overseas publicly listed company must be fully remitted into a PRC collective foreign currency account opened and managed by the PRC agent before distribution to such participants. We and our PRC resident employees who have been granted stock options or other share-based incentives of ours are subject to the Stock Option Rules. However, we do not have control over our PRC resident participants and cannot compel them to comply with SAFE registrations.
Therefore, we cannot assure you that any required registration under SAFE registrations will be completed in a timely manner, or at all. If we or our PRC resident participants fail to comply with these regulations, we and/
S-17
Table of Contents
or our PRC resident participants may be subject to fines and legal sanctions. Besides, failure to complete the SAFE registrations may limit our PRC resident participants’ ability to make payment under our share incentive plan or receive dividends or sales proceeds related thereto, or limit our ability to contribute additional capital into our wholly-foreign owned enterprises in China and limit our wholly-foreign owned enterprises’ ability to distribute dividends to us. We also face regulatory uncertainties that could restrict our ability to adopt additional share incentive plans for our directors and employees under PRC laws.
In addition, the State Taxation Administration issued the Notice on Several Measures for Further Deepening the Reform of “Simplifying Administration and Decentralizing Powers, Combining Decentralization with Appropriate Control, and Optimizing Services” and Cultivating and Stimulating the Vitality of Market Participants, or the Notice, in October 2021, which require any enterprise that implements equity (stock) incentive plan shall submit a Report Form of Equity Incentives and other materials to the competent tax authority within 15 days of the next month after deciding to implement equity incentives or before the end of 2021 for equity incentive plans that have been implemented but not yet completed, including domestic enterprises that provide equity incentives for employees with equity of overseas enterprises. However, as the Notice is newly issued, there are still substantial uncertainties as to its interpretation and implementations in practice. Therefore, we cannot assure you that any required registration or filing under the Notice or other regulations will be completed in a timely manner, or at all. If we or our participants fail to comply with these regulations, we and/or our participants may be subject to fines and other legal sanctions.
The audit report included in Legend Biotech’s Annual Report is prepared by an auditor who is not inspected by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, or the PCAOB and, as such, Legend Biotech’s investors are deprived of the benefits of such inspection. The Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, or the HFCA Act, and other legislative and regulatory developments related to political tensions between the United States and China may have a material adverse impact on Legend Biotech’s continued listing and trading in the U.S. and the trading prices of Legend Biotech’s ADSs.
As an auditor of U.S. publicly traded companies and a PCAOB-registered accounting firm, the independent registered public accounting firm that issued the audit report included in Legend Biotech’s Annual Report is required by the laws of the United States to undergo regular inspections by the PCAOB to assess its compliance with the laws of the United States and professional standards. Because our auditor is located in the PRC—a jurisdiction where the PCAOB is currently unable to conduct inspections without the approval of the Chinese authorities—our auditor is not currently inspected by the PCAOB.
PCAOB inspections are able to identify deficiencies in the inspected firms’ audit procedures and quality control procedures, which may then be addressed as part of the inspection process to improve future audit quality. The lack of PCAOB inspections in China prevents the PCAOB from regularly evaluating our auditor’s audits and quality control procedures. As a result, investors may be deprived of the benefits of PCAOB inspections of our auditor. The inability of the PCAOB to conduct an inspection of our auditor makes it more difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of our auditor’s audit procedures or quality control procedures as compared to auditors outside of China that are subject to PCAOB inspections. Accordingly, investors may have a lower level of confidence in Legend Biotech’s reported financial information and procedures and the quality of Legend Biotech’s financial statements than if our auditor were subject to PCAOB inspections.
Further, U.S. legislators and regulators have in recent years voiced concerns about risks associated with investing in companies that are based in or have substantial operations in emerging markets, including China. In particular, lawmakers have highlighted the increased risks associated with companies whose independent auditors are unable to be inspected by the PCAOB. As part of this continued focus in the United States on access to audit and other information currently protected by national law, in particular China’s, on December 18, 2020, the U.S. president signed the HFCA Act into law. On December 2, 2021, the SEC adopted final rules implementing the HFCA Act.
S-18
Table of Contents
The HFCA Act requires the SEC to identify and maintain a list of U.S. listed companies whose audit reports are prepared by auditors that the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely because of restrictions imposed by the authorities in the foreign jurisdiction. The HFCA Act also requires SEC-identified public companies to (i) submit documentation establishing that the company is not owned or controlled by a governmental entity in the jurisdiction that restricts PCAOB inspections and (ii) make certain additional disclosures in their SEC filings regarding, among other things, the fact that the PCAOB is unable to inspect its audit firm, the percentage of the company’s shares owned by governmental entities in such foreign jurisdiction, whether governmental entities in such foreign jurisdiction have a controlling financial interest with respect to the company, the name of any Chinese Communist Party members on the company’s board of directors, and whether there are any charters of the Chinese Communist Party included in the company’s organizational documents (including the text of any such charter). For issuers remaining on the SEC-identified companies list for three consecutive years, the securities of such company would be prohibited from trading on a U.S. national securities exchange, such as The Nasdaq Global Select Market, or in U.S. over-the-counter markets. On June 22, 2021, the U.S. Senate passed a bill which, if passed by the U.S. House of Representatives and signed into law, would reduce the number of consecutive non-inspection years required for triggering the prohibitions under the HFCA Act from three years to two. It is uncertain whether this proposed legislation will advance.
The SEC will begin identifying issuers based on annual reports filed in 2022 for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021. Because Legend Biotech’s Annual Report for fiscal year 2021 will include an audit report issued by our auditor, it is expected that Legend Biotech will be an SEC-identified company in fiscal year 2022, and would be required to comply with the SEC’s submission and disclosure requirements for Legend Biotech’s Annual Report for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2022. Legend Biotech is evaluating potential responses to the HFCA Act, including the possibility of changing its principal auditor to a firm that can be inspected by the PCAOB. Such evaluation is ongoing and until a definitive response is identified and implemented, Legend Biotech’s inclusion as an SEC-identified company could cause investor uncertainty and the market price of its ADSs could be materially adversely affected. If Legend Biotech is unable to meet PCAOB inspection requirements in a timely manner, it could be delisted. If Legend Biotech’s ADSs are unable to be listed on another securities exchange by then, such a delisting would substantially impair your ability to sell or purchase its ADSs when you wish to do so, and the risk and uncertainty associated with a potential delisting would have a negative impact on the price of Legend Biotech’s ADSs. In addition, any actions that Legend Biotech takes in response to the HFCA Act and compliance with the requirements of the HFCA Act for so long as Legend Biotech remains an SEC-identified company, may require Legend Biotech to incur additional legal, accounting and other expenses, which may be significant.
Governmental control of currency conversion may limit our ability to utilize our revenues effectively and affect the value of your investment.
The PRC government imposes controls on the convertibility of the Renminbi into foreign currencies and, in certain cases, the remittance of currency out of China. Under our current corporate structure, our Cayman Islands holding company may rely on dividend payments from our PRC subsidiaries to fund any cash and financing requirements we may have in the future. Under existing PRC foreign exchange regulations, payments of current account items, including profit distributions, interest payments and trade and service-related foreign exchange transactions, can be made in foreign currencies without prior approval of SAFE, by complying with certain procedural requirements. Specifically, under the existing exchange restrictions, without prior approval of SAFE, cash generated from the operations of our PRC subsidiaries in China may be used to pay dividends to our company. However, approval from or registration with appropriate government authorities is required where Renminbi is to be converted into foreign currency and remitted out of China to pay capital expenses such as the repayment of loans denominated in foreign currencies. As a result, we need to obtain SAFE approval to use cash generated from the operations of our PRC subsidiaries to pay off their respective debt in a currency other than Renminbi owed to entities outside China, or to make other capital expenditure payments outside China in a currency other than Renminbi.
S-19
Table of Contents
In light of the recent flood of capital outflows of China due to the weakening of RMB, the PRC government has imposed more restrictive foreign exchange policies and stepped up scrutiny of major outbound capital movement including overseas direct investment. More restrictions and substantial vetting process are put in place by SAFE to regulate cross-border transactions falling under the capital account. If any of our shareholders regulated by such policies fails to satisfy the applicable overseas direct investment filing or approval requirement timely or at all, it may be subject to penalties from the relevant PRC authorities. The PRC government may at its discretion further restrict access in the future to foreign currencies for current account transactions. If the foreign exchange control system prevents us from obtaining sufficient foreign currencies to satisfy our foreign currency demands, we may not be able to pay dividends in foreign currencies to our shareholders, including holders of the Ordinary Shares.
The market price of our ADSs and our business may be significantly affected by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Entity List.
On December 16, 2021, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security, or the BIS, issued a final rule adding 37 entities under 40 entries to its Entity List, which contains a list of names of certain foreign persons (including businesses, research institutions, government and private organizations, individuals, and other types of legal persons) that are subject to specific license requirements for the export, re-export and/or transfer of specified items. According to a press release issued by the U.S. Department of Commerce on December 16, 2021, the BIS’s actions were taken, in part, “to address the ongoing threats to U.S. national security and foreign policy presented by the People’s Republic of China (PRC)’s efforts to develop and deploy biotechnology and other technologies for military applications and human rights abuses.” Of the 40 entries that were added to the Entity List pursuant to the BIS’s final rule, 34 are located in the PRC, and of such entries, 12 are biotechnology entities (i.e., one biotechnology entity together with 11 of its research institutes). Although we believe that we do not engage in any activity that the BIS’s actions seek to address, there can be no assurance that we will not, in the future, be added to the Entity List.
Until more information relating to whether the BIS intends to add additional biotechnology companies with PRC operations (including the company) to its Entity List, the market price of our ADSs could be materially adversely affected. In addition, any actions that we take in response to the Entity List may require us to incur additional legal, accounting and other expenses, which may be significant.
Risks Related to this Offering and Ownership of our ADSs
Genscript will continue to own a significant percentage of our ordinary shares and will be able to exert significant control over matters subject to shareholder approval.
Genscript is currently our majority shareholder, and after this offering is completed, we will continue to be controlled by Genscript. Upon the closing of this offering, assuming Genscript purchases 2,250,000 ADSs in this offering, Genscript will beneficially own approximately 57.1% of the voting power of our outstanding share capital, or approximately 56.6% if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase 1,125,000 additional ADSs in full. Therefore, even after this offering, Genscript will have the ability to substantially influence us and exert significant control through this ownership position. For example, Genscript and its shareholders may be able to control elections of directors, issuance of equity, including to our employees under equity incentive plans, amendments of our organizational documents, or approval of any merger, amalgamation, sale of assets or other major corporate transaction. Genscript’s interests may not always coincide with our corporate interests or the interests of other shareholders, and it may exercise its voting and other rights in a manner with which you may not agree or that may not be in the best interests of our other shareholders. Further, there may be changes to the management or ownership of Genscript that could impact Genscript’s interests in a way that may not coincide with our corporate interests or the interests of other shareholders. So long as Genscript continues to own a significant amount of our equity, it will continue to be able to strongly influence and effectively control our decisions.
S-20
Table of Contents
If you purchase ADSs in this offering, you will suffer immediate dilution of your investment.
The public offering price of our ADSs is substantially higher than the as adjusted net tangible book value per ADS. Therefore, if you purchase ADSs in this offering, you will pay a price per ADS that substantially exceeds our as adjusted net tangible book value per ADS after this offering. Based on the public offering price of $40.00 per ADS, you will experience immediate dilution of $36.72 per ADS, representing the difference between our as adjusted net tangible book value per ADS as of September 30, 2021, after giving effect to this offering, and the public offering price per ADS. After this offering, we will also have outstanding options and warrants to purchase ordinary shares with exercise prices lower than the public offering price. To the extent any outstanding options or warrants are exercised, there will be further dilution to investors in this offering. For further information regarding the dilution resulting from this offering, see the section titled “Dilution” in this prospectus supplement.
A significant portion of our total outstanding shares may be sold into the market in the near future. This could cause the market price of our ADSs to drop significantly, even if our business is doing well.
Sales of a substantial number of our ordinary shares or ADSs in the public market could occur at any time. If our shareholders sell, or the market perceives that our shareholders intend to sell, substantial amounts of our ordinary shares or ADSs in the public market following this offering, the market price of our ADSs could decline significantly.
All of our executive officers and directors, as well as certain of our shareholders, are subject to lock-up agreements that restrict their ability to transfer shares of our share capital for 90 days from the date of this prospectus supplement. Upon completion of this offering, we will have outstanding 305,661,844 ordinary shares, including ordinary shares represented by ADSs, based on the number of shares outstanding as of September 30, 2021. Of these shares, ordinary shares will be available for sale in the public market beginning 90 days after the date of this prospectus supplement following the expiration of lock-up agreements and the remaining ordinary shares will be freely tradable immediately, in each case subject to volume, manner of sale, holding period and other limitations of Rule 144. Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Jefferies LLC may, in their sole discretion, permit our shareholders who are subject to these lock-up agreements to sell ordinary shares prior to the expiration of the lock-up agreements.
We will have broad discretion in the use of proceeds from this offering and may invest or spend the proceeds in ways with which you do not agree and in ways that may not increase the value of your investment.
Our management will have broad discretion in the application of our cash and cash equivalents, including the net proceeds from this offering, and could spend the proceeds in ways that do not improve our results of operations or enhance the value of our ADSs. The failure by our management to apply these funds effectively could result in financial losses that could have a negative impact on our business, cause the price of our ADSs to decline and delay the development of our product candidates and preclinical program. Pending their use, we may invest our cash and cash equivalents, including the net proceeds from this offering, in a manner that does not produce income or that loses value. See the section titled “Use of Proceeds” for additional information.
Raising additional capital may cause dilution to our holders, including purchasers of our ADSs in this offering, restrict our operations or require us to relinquish rights to our technologies or product candidates.
We expect that significant additional capital may be needed in the future to continue our planned operations, including conducting clinical trials, commercialization efforts, expanded research and development activities and costs associated with operating a public company. Until such time, if ever, as we can generate substantial product revenue, we expect to finance our cash needs through any or a combination of securities offerings, debt
S-21
Table of Contents
financings, license and collaboration agreements and research grants. If we raise capital through securities offerings, such sales may also result in material dilution to our existing shareholders, and new investors could gain rights, preferences and privileges senior to the holders of our ADSs or ordinary shares, including ADSs sold in this offering.
To the extent that we raise additional capital through the sale of equity or convertible debt securities, your ownership interest will be diluted, and the terms of these securities may include liquidation or other preferences that adversely affect your rights as a shareholder. Debt financing and preferred equity financing, if available, could result in fixed payment obligations, and we may be required to accept terms that restrict our ability to incur additional indebtedness, force us to maintain specified liquidity or other ratios or restrict our ability to pay dividends or make acquisitions.
If we raise additional funds through collaborations, strategic alliances or marketing, distribution or licensing arrangements with third parties, we may be required to relinquish valuable rights to our technologies, future revenue streams, research programs or product candidates or to grant licenses on terms that may not be favorable to us. In addition, we could also be required to seek funds through arrangements with collaborators or others at an earlier stage than otherwise would be desirable. If we raise funds through research grants, we may be subject to certain requirements, which may limit our ability to use the funds or require us to share information from our research and development. If we are unable to raise additional funds through equity or debt financings when needed, we may be required to delay, limit, reduce or terminate our product development or future commercialization efforts or grant rights to a third party to develop and market product candidates that we would otherwise prefer to develop and market ourselves. Raising additional capital through any of these or other means could adversely affect our business and the holdings or rights of our shareholders, and may cause the market price of our ADSs to decline.
Holders of our ADSs have fewer rights than our shareholders and must act through the depositary to exercise their rights.
Holders of our ADSs do not have the same rights as our shareholders and may only exercise their voting rights with respect to the underlying ordinary shares in accordance with the provisions of the deposit agreement. Holders of the ADSs will appoint the depositary or its nominee as their representative to exercise the voting rights attaching to the ordinary shares represented by the ADSs. When a general meeting is convened, if you hold ADSs, you may not receive sufficient notice of a shareholders’ meeting to permit you to withdraw the ordinary shares underlying your ADSs to allow you to vote with respect to any specific matter. We will make all commercially reasonable efforts to cause the depositary to extend voting rights to you in a timely manner, but we cannot assure you that you will receive voting materials in time to instruct the depositary to vote, and it is possible that you, or persons who hold their ADSs through brokers, dealers or other third parties, will not have the opportunity to exercise a right to vote. Furthermore, the depositary will not be liable for any failure to carry out any instructions to vote, for the manner in which any vote is cast or for the effect of any such vote. As a result, you may not be able to exercise your right to vote and you may lack recourse if your ADSs are not voted as you request. In addition, in your capacity as an ADS holder, you will not be able to call a shareholders’ meeting.
You may not receive distributions on our ordinary shares represented by the ADSs or any value for them if it is illegal or impractical to make them available to holders of ADSs.
Although we do not have any present plans to declare or pay any dividends on our ordinary shares after this offering, in the event we declare and pay any dividends, the depositary for the ADSs has agreed to pay to you the cash dividends or other distributions it or the custodian receives on our ordinary shares or other deposited securities after deducting its fees and expenses. You will receive these distributions in proportion to the number of our ordinary shares your ADSs represent. However, in accordance with the limitations set forth in the deposit agreement, it may be unlawful or impractical to make a distribution available to holders of ADSs. We have no
S-22
Table of Contents
obligation to register under U.S. securities laws any offering of ADSs, ordinary shares or other securities received through such distributions. We also have no obligation to take any other action to permit distribution on the ADSs, ordinary shares, rights or anything else to holders of the ADSs. This means that you may not receive the distributions we make on our ordinary shares or any value from them if it is unlawful or impractical to make them available to you. These restrictions may have an adverse effect on the value of your ADSs.
Your right to participate in any future rights offerings may be limited, which may cause dilution to your holdings.
We may from time to time distribute rights to our shareholders, including rights to acquire our securities. However, we cannot make rights available to you in the United States unless we register the rights and the securities to which the rights relate under the Securities Act or an exemption from the registration requirements is available. Also, under the deposit agreement, the depositary bank will not make rights available to you unless either both the rights and any related securities are registered under the Securities Act, or the distribution of them to ADS holders is exempted from registration under the Securities Act. We are under no obligation to file a registration statement with respect to any such rights or securities or to endeavor to cause such a registration statement to be declared effective. Moreover, we may not be able to establish an exemption from registration under the Securities Act. If the depositary does not distribute the rights, it may, under the deposit agreement, either sell them, if possible, or allow them to lapse. Accordingly, you may be unable to participate in our rights offerings and may experience dilution in your holdings.
Because we do not anticipate paying any cash dividends on our ADSs in the foreseeable future, capital appreciation, if any, will be your sole source of gains and you may never receive a return on your investment.
We have never declared or paid a dividend on our ordinary shares in the past, and we currently intend to retain our future earnings, if any, to fund the development and growth of our business. Therefore, you should not rely on an investment in our ADSs to provide dividend income. Our board of directors has complete discretion as to whether to distribute dividends, subject to certain restrictions under Cayman Islands law, namely that our company may only pay dividends out of profits or out of the credit standing in our company’s share premium account, and provided always that in no circumstances may a dividend be paid if this would result in our company being unable to pay its debts as they fall due in the ordinary course of business. In addition, our shareholders may, subject to our memorandum and articles of association, by ordinary resolution declare a dividend, but no dividend may exceed the amount recommended by our board of directors. Even if our board of directors decides to declare and pay dividends, the timing, amount and form of future dividends, if any, will depend on, among other things, our future results of operations and cash flow, our capital requirements and surplus, the amount of distributions, if any, received by us from our subsidiaries, our financial condition, contractual restrictions and other factors deemed relevant by our board of directors. As a result, capital appreciation, if any, on our ADSs will be your sole source of gains for the foreseeable future. Investors seeking cash dividends should not purchase our ADSs in this offering.
If we are or become classified as a passive foreign investment company, our U.S. shareholders may suffer adverse tax consequences as a result.
Generally, for any taxable year, if at least 75% of our gross income is passive income, or at least 50% of the value of our assets is attributable to assets that produce passive income or are held for the production of passive income, including cash, we would be characterized as a passive foreign investment company, or PFIC, for U.S. federal income tax purposes. For purposes of these tests, passive income includes dividends, interest gains from commodities and securities transactions, the excess of gains over losses from the disposition of assets which produce passive income (including amounts derived by reason of the temporary investment of funds raised in offerings of our shares) and rents and royalties other than rents and royalties which are received from unrelated parties in connection with the active conduct of a trade or business. If we are characterized as a PFIC, our U.S.
S-23
Table of Contents
shareholders may suffer adverse tax consequences, including having gains realized on the sale of our ordinary shares or ADSs treated as ordinary income, rather than capital gain, the loss of the preferential rate applicable to dividends received on our ordinary shares or ADSs by individuals who are U.S. Holders (as defined under “—Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences to U.S. Holders”), and having interest charges apply to distributions by us and gains from the sales of our shares or ADSs.
Our status as a PFIC will depend on the nature and composition of our income and the nature, composition and value of our assets (which may be determined based on the fair market value of each asset, with the value of goodwill and going concern value determined in large part by reference to the market value of our ADSs, which may be volatile). Our status may also depend, in part, on how quickly we utilize the cash proceeds from this offering and other fundraising activities in our business. Based on our operating history and the composition of our income and valuation of our assets, including goodwill, we do not believe we were a PFIC for our taxable year ending December 31, 2020, and based on current estimates, and not audited financials, of our income and valuation of our assets, we do not expect to be a PFIC for our taxable year ending December 31, 2021. 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 and that the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, or the IRS, would not successfully challenge our position. Because the determination of whether we are a PFIC for any taxable year is a factual determination made annually after the end of each taxable year, there can be no assurance that we will or will not be considered a PFIC in any taxable year including the current taxable year. Accordingly, our U.S. counsel expresses no opinion with respect to our PFIC status for our taxable year ending December 31, 2020, and also expresses no opinion with regard to our expectations regarding our PFIC status for our taxable year ending December 31, 2021 or any future taxable year.
The tax consequences that would apply if we are classified as a PFIC would also be different from those described above if a U.S. Holder were able to make a valid qualified electing fund, or QEF, election. At this time, we do not expect to provide U.S. Holders with the information necessary for a U.S. Holder to make a QEF election. Prospective investors should assume that a QEF election will not be available.
If a United States person is treated as owning at least 10% of our ordinary shares, including ordinary shares represented by ADSs, such holder may be subject to adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences.
As a result of the ownership of 50% or more of our stock by Genscript, which also owns 50% or more of one or more U.S. corporations, we and certain of our non-U.S. subsidiaries may be treated as “controlled foreign corporations” for U.S. federal income tax purposes. If a U.S. Holder (as defined below under “Material Income Tax Considerations—Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations for U.S. Holders”) is treated as owning (directly, indirectly or constructively) at least 10% of the value or voting power of our ordinary shares, including ordinary shares represented by ADSs, such U.S. Holder may be treated as a “United States shareholder” with respect to us and each of our non-U.S. subsidiaries that is treated as a controlled foreign corporation. A United States shareholder of a controlled foreign corporation may be required to annually report 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 controlled foreign corporations, regardless of whether the controlled foreign corporation makes any distributions. In addition, a United States shareholder that realizes gain from the sale or exchange of shares in a controlled foreign corporation may be required to classify a portion of such gain as dividend income rather than capital gain. An individual that is a United States shareholder with respect to a controlled foreign corporation generally would not be allowed certain tax deductions or foreign tax credits that would be allowed to a United States shareholder that is a U.S. corporation. We cannot provide any assurances that we will furnish to any United States shareholder information that may be necessary to comply with the reporting and tax paying obligations discussed above. Failure to comply with these reporting obligations may subject you to significant monetary penalties and may prevent the statute of limitations with respect to your U.S. federal income tax return for the year for which reporting was due from starting. U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the potential application of these rules to their investment in our ADSs.
S-24
Table of Contents
Future changes to tax laws could materially adversely affect our company and reduce net returns to our shareholders.
The tax treatment of the company is subject to changes in tax laws, regulations and treaties, or the interpretation thereof, tax policy initiatives and reforms under consideration and the practices of tax authorities in jurisdictions in which we operate, as well as tax policy initiatives and reforms related to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s, Base Erosion and Profit Shifting, Project, the European Commission’s state aid investigations and other initiatives. Such changes may include (but are not limited to) the taxation of operating income, investment income, dividends received or (in the specific context of withholding tax) dividends paid. We are unable to predict what tax reform may be proposed or enacted in the future or what effect such changes would have on our business, but such changes, to the extent they are brought into tax legislation, regulations, policies or practices, could affect our financial position and overall or effective tax rates in the future in countries where we have operations, reduce post-tax returns to our shareholders, and increase the complexity, burden and cost of tax compliance.
Tax authorities may disagree with our positions and conclusions regarding certain tax positions, resulting in unanticipated costs, taxes or non-realization of expected benefits.
A tax authority may disagree with tax positions that we have taken, which could result in increased tax liabilities. For example, the IRS or another tax authority could challenge our allocation of income by tax jurisdiction and the amounts paid between our affiliated companies pursuant to our intercompany arrangements and transfer pricing policies, including amounts paid with respect to our intellectual property development. Similarly, a tax authority could assert that we are subject to tax in a jurisdiction where we believe we have not established a taxable connection, often referred to as a “permanent establishment” under international tax treaties, and such an assertion, if successful, could increase our expected tax liability in one or more jurisdictions. A tax authority may take the position that material income tax liabilities, interest and penalties are payable by us, in which case, we expect that we might contest such assessment. Contesting such an assessment may be lengthy and costly, and if we were unsuccessful in disputing the assessment, the implications could increase our anticipated effective tax rate, where applicable.
S-25
Table of Contents
We estimate that the net proceeds from the sale of 7,500,000 ADSs in this offering will be approximately $281.5 million, after deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. If the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional ADSs in full, we estimate that the net proceeds to us from this offering will be approximately $323.8 million, after deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.
The principal purposes of this offering are to obtain additional capital to support our operations and facilitate our future access to the public capital markets.
We intend to use the net proceeds from this offering, together with our existing cash and cash equivalents, to fund the clinical development of cilta-cel, fund the construction of our manufacturing facilities, fund the commercial launch, if approved, of cilta-cel and fund the development of our pipeline programs, as well as for working capital and other general corporate purposes.
Based on our current operating plan, we believe that the net proceeds from this offering, together with our existing cash and cash equivalents, will enable us to fund our planned operating expenses and capital expenditures into the third quarter of 2023. We anticipate needing to raise additional capital to complete the development of and commercialize product candidates in our pipeline. It is difficult to predict the cost and timing required to complete development and obtain regulatory approval of, and commercialize, our product candidates due to, among other factors, the relatively short history of our experience with initiating, conducting and completing clinical trials, obtaining regulatory approval and commercializing our product candidates, the rate of subject enrollment in our clinical trials, filing requirements with various regulatory agencies, clinical trial results and the actual costs of manufacturing and supplying our product candidates.
Our expected use of the net proceeds from this offering represents our intentions based upon our current plans and business conditions. As of the date of this prospectus supplement, we cannot predict with certainty all of the particular uses for the net proceeds to be received upon the completion of this offering or the amounts that we will actually spend on the uses set forth above. We believe that opportunities may exist from time to time to expand our current business through licenses with or acquisitions of, or investments in, complementary businesses, products or technologies, and we may use a portion of the net proceeds for these purposes.
Our management will have broad discretion over the use of the net proceeds from this offering. The amounts and timing of our expenditures will depend upon numerous factors, including the results of our research and development efforts, the timing, cost and success of preclinical studies and any ongoing clinical trials or clinical trials we may commence in the future, the timing of regulatory submissions, our ability to obtain additional financing, the amount of cash obtained through our existing collaborations and future collaborations, if any, and any unforeseen cash needs.
Pending any use described above, we intend to invest the net proceeds of this offering in short- and intermediate-term interest-bearing obligations, investment-grade instruments, certificates of deposit or direct or guaranteed obligations of the U.S. government.
S-26
Table of Contents
Our board of directors has discretion on whether to distribute dividends, subject to the amended and restated memorandum and articles of association of our company and certain requirements of Cayman Islands law. In addition, our shareholders may by ordinary resolution declare a dividend, but no dividend may exceed the amount recommended by our board of directors. In either case, all dividends are subject to certain restrictions under Cayman Islands law, namely that our company may only pay dividends out of profits or the credit standing in our company’s share premium account, and provided always that in no circumstances may a dividend be paid if this would result in our company being unable to pay its debts as they fall due in the ordinary course of business immediately following the date on which the distribution or dividend is paid. Even if we decide to pay dividends, the form, frequency and amount will depend upon our future operations and earnings, capital requirements and surplus, general financial condition, contractual restrictions and other factors that the board of directors may deem relevant.
We do not have any present plan to pay any cash dividends on our ordinary shares in the foreseeable future after this offering. We currently intend to retain most, if not all, of our available funds and any future earnings to operate and expand our business.
If we pay any dividends on our ordinary shares, we will pay those dividends, which are payable in respect of the ordinary shares underlying the ADSs to the depositary, as the registered holder of such ordinary shares, and the depositary then will pay such amounts to our ADS holders in proportion to the ordinary shares underlying the ADSs held by such ADS holders, subject to the terms of the deposit agreement, including the fees and expenses payable thereunder. See “Description of American Depositary Shares” of the accompanying prospectus. Cash dividends on our ordinary shares, if any, will be paid in U.S. dollars.
S-27
Table of Contents
The following table sets forth our cash and cash equivalents and time deposits and capitalization as of September 30, 2021 on:
• | an actual basis; |
• | an as adjusted basis to give effect to the sale of 7,500,000 ADSs in this offering at the public offering price of $40.00 per ADS, after deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. |
You should read this table in conjunction with other sections of this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and any documents that they incorporate by reference, including our consolidated financial statements and the related notes.
As of September 30, 2021 (in thousands) | ||||||||
Actual | As Adjusted | |||||||
Cash and cash equivalents and time deposits | $ | 556,044 | $ | 837,544 | ||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Equity: | ||||||||
Share capital | 29 | 31 | ||||||
Reserves | 225,837 | 507,335 | ||||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Total ordinary shareholders’ equity | 225,866 | 507,366 | ||||||
|
|
|
| |||||
Total capitalization | $ | 225,866 | $ | 507,366 | ||||
|
|
|
|
The number of ordinary shares outstanding in the table above is based on 290,661,844 ordinary shares outstanding as of September 30, 2021 on an actual basis and excludes:
• | 10,124,074 ordinary shares issuable upon the exercise of options outstanding as of September 30, 2021, with a weighted average exercise price of $2.86 per ordinary share; |
• | 2,733,095 ordinary shares issuable upon the vesting of restricted share units outstanding as of September 30, 2021; |
• | 10,000,000 ordinary shares issuable upon the exercise of an outstanding warrant as of September 30, 2021, with an exercise price of $20.00 per ordinary share; |
• | 4,604,466 ordinary shares available for future issuance under our Share Option Scheme as of September 30, 2021; and |
• | 8,014,631 ordinary shares available for future issuance under our Restricted Share Unit Incentive Plan as of September 30, 2021. |
S-28
Table of Contents
If you invest in the ADSs, your interest will be diluted to the extent of the difference between the public offering price per ADS and our net tangible book value per ADS after this offering. Dilution results from the fact that the public offering price per ordinary share is substantially in excess of the book value per ordinary share attributable to the existing shareholders for our presently outstanding ordinary shares.
Our historical net tangible book value as of September 30, 2021 was $220.4 million, or $0.76 per ordinary share (equivalent to $1.52 per ADS). Historical net tangible book value represents the amount of our total consolidated tangible assets, less the amount of our total consolidated liabilities. Dilution is determined by subtracting historical net tangible book value per ADS, after giving effect to the additional proceeds we will receive from this offering, from the public offering price of $40.00 per ADS, and after deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.
After giving effect to our sale of the ADSs offered in this offering at the public offering price of $40.00 per ADS, after deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us (assuming the underwriters do not exercise their option to purchase additional ADSs), our as adjusted net tangible book value as of September 30, 2021 would have been $501.9 million, or $1.64 per ordinary share (equivalent to $3.28 per ADS). This represents an immediate further increase in net tangible book value of $1.76 per ADS to our existing shareholders and an immediate dilution in net tangible book value of $36.72 per ADS to investors purchasing ADSs in this offering. The following table illustrates such dilution:
Public offering price | $ | 40.00 | ||||||
Historical net tangible book value per ADS as of September 30, 2021 | $ | 1.52 | ||||||
Increase in as adjusted net tangible book value per ADS attributable to investors purchasing ADSs in this offering as of September 30, 2021 | 1.76 | |||||||
|
| |||||||
As adjusted net tangible book value per ADS after this offering | 3.28 | |||||||
|
| |||||||
Dilution to investors in this offering per ADS as of September 30, 2021 | $ | 36.72 | ||||||
|
|
If the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional ADSs in full, the as adjusted net tangible book value as of September 30, 2021 would have been $3.54 per ADS, the increase in as adjusted net tangible book value attributable to investors would have been $2.02 per ADS, and the immediate dilution in net tangible book value to investors in this offering would have been $36.46 per ADS.
The table and discussion above is based on 290,661,844 ordinary shares outstanding as of September 30, 2021 and excludes:
• | 10,124,074 ordinary shares issuable upon the exercise of options outstanding as of September 30, 2021, with a weighted average exercise price of $2.86 per ordinary share; |
• | 2,733,095 ordinary shares issuable upon the vesting of restricted share units outstanding as of September 30, 2021; |
• | 10,000,000 ordinary shares issuable upon the exercise of an outstanding warrant as of September 30, 2021, with an exercise price of $20.00 per ordinary share; |
• | 4,604,466 ordinary shares available for future issuance under our Share Option Scheme as of September 30, 2021; and |
• | 8,014,631 ordinary shares available for future issuance under our Restricted Share Unit Incentive Plan as of September 30, 2021. |
S-29
Table of Contents
To the extent that any outstanding options or warrants are exercised or new options are issued under the equity benefit plans, or we issue additional ordinary shares or other securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for ordinary shares in the future, there will be further dilution to investors participating in this offering. In addition, we may choose to raise additional capital because of market conditions or strategic considerations, even if we believe that we have sufficient funds for our current or future operating plans. If we raise additional capital through the sale of equity or convertible debt securities, the issuance of these securities could result in further dilution to our shareholders.
S-30
Table of Contents
Under the terms and subject to the conditions in an underwriting agreement dated the date of this prospectus supplement, the underwriters named below, for whom Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, Jefferies LLC, Piper Sandler & Co. and Barclays Capital Inc. are acting as representatives, or the representatives, have severally agreed to purchase, and we have agreed to sell to them, severally, the number of ADSs indicated below:
Name | Number of | |||
Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC | 2,250,000 | |||
J.P. Morgan Securities LLC | 2,250,000 | |||
Jefferies LLC | 1,500,000 | |||
Piper Sandler & Co. | 787,500 | |||
Barclays Capital Inc. | 600,000 | |||
BTIG, LLC | 112,500 | |||
|
| |||
Total: | 7,500,000 | |||
|
|
The underwriters and the representatives are collectively referred to as the “underwriters” and the “representatives,” respectively. The underwriters are offering the ADSs subject to their acceptance of the ADSs from us and subject to prior sale. The underwriting agreement provides that the obligations of the several underwriters to pay for and accept delivery of the ADSs offered by this prospectus supplement are subject to the approval of certain legal matters by their counsel and to certain other conditions. The underwriters are obligated to take and pay for all of the ADSs offered by this prospectus supplement if any such ADSs are taken. However, the underwriters are not required to take or pay for the ADSs covered by the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares described below.
The underwriters initially propose to offer part of ADSs directly to the public at the offering price listed on the cover page of this prospectus supplement and part to certain dealers at a price that represents a concession not in excess of $1.44 per ADS under the public offering price. After the initial offering of the ADSs, the offering price and other selling terms may from time to time be varied by the representatives.
We have granted to the underwriters an option, exercisable for 30 days from the date of this prospectus supplement, to purchase up to 1,125,000 additional ADSs at the public offering price listed on the cover page of this prospectus supplement, less underwriting discounts and commissions. To the extent the option is exercised, each underwriter will become obligated, subject to certain conditions, to purchase about the same percentage of the additional ADSs as the number listed next to the underwriter’s name in the preceding table bears to the total number of ADSs listed next to the names of all underwriters in the preceding table.
The following table shows the per ADS and total public offering price, underwriting discounts and commissions, and proceeds before expenses to us. These amounts are shown assuming both no exercise and full exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase up to an additional 1,125,000 ADSs.
Total | ||||||||||||
Per ADS | No Exercise | Full Exercise | ||||||||||
Public offering price | $ | 40.00 | $ | 300,000,000 | $ | 345,000,000 | ||||||
Underwriting discounts and commissions to be paid by us | $ | 2.40 | $ | 18,000,000 | $ | 20,700,000 | ||||||
Proceeds, before expenses, to us | $ | 37.60 | $ | 282,000,000 | $ | 324,300,000 |
The estimated offering expenses payable by us, exclusive of the underwriting discounts and commissions, are approximately $500,000. We have agreed to reimburse the underwriters for expense relating to clearance of this offering with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority up to $20,000.
S-31
Table of Contents
The underwriters have informed us that they do not intend sales to discretionary accounts to exceed 5% of the total number of ADSs offered by them.
Our ADSs are listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market, or Nasdaq, under the symbol “LEGN.”
We have agreed that, without the prior written consent of Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Jefferies LLC on behalf of the underwriters, we will not, and will not publicly disclose an intention to, during the period ending 90 days after the date of this prospectus supplement, or the restricted period, subject to certain exceptions: (1) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, lend or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any of our ordinary shares or ADSs or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for our ordinary shares or ADSs; (2) enter into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of our ordinary shares or ADSs, whether any such transaction described in (1) or (2) above is to be settled by delivery of our ordinary shares or ADSs or such other securities, in cash or otherwise; or (3) file any registration statement with the SEC relating to the offering of any of our ordinary shares or ADSs or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for our ordinary shares or ADSs.
The restrictions described in the immediately preceding paragraph to do not apply in certain circumstances, including:
(1) | the sale of the ADSs and the ordinary shares represented by such ADSs in this offering; |
(2) | the issuance by us of ordinary shares or ADSs upon the exercise of an option or warrant or the conversion of a security outstanding on the date of this prospectus supplement; |
(3) | the grant of options, restricted stock units or any other type of equity award described in this prospectus supplement, or the issuance of our ordinary shares or ADSs by us (whether upon the exercise of stock options or otherwise) to our employees, officers, directors, advisors or consultants pursuant to employee benefit plans in effect on the date of this prospectus supplement and described in this prospectus supplement; provided that each recipient of ordinary shares, ADSs or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for ordinary shares pursuant to this clause (3) shall execute a lock-up agreement with respect to the remaining portion of the restricted period; |
(4) | the filing by us of a registration statement on Form S-8 relating to the issuance, vesting, exercise or settlement of equity awards granted or to be granted pursuant to any employee benefit plan in effect on the date of this prospectus supplement and described in this prospectus supplement; |
(5) | facilitating the establishment of a trading plan on behalf of a shareholder, officer or director of the Company pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act for the transfer of ordinary shares or ADSs, provided that (i) such plan does not provide for the transfer of ordinary shares or ADSs during the restricted period and (ii) to the extent a public announcement or filing under the Exchange Act, if any, is required of or voluntarily made by us regarding the establishment of such plan, such announcement or filing shall include a statement to the effect that no transfer of ordinary shares or ADSs may be made under such plan during the restricted period; or |
(6) | the sale or issuance of or entry into an agreement to sell or issue ordinary shares, ADSs or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for ordinary shares or ADSs in connection with one or more mergers; acquisitions of securities, businesses, property or other assets, products or technologies; joint ventures; commercial relationships or other strategic corporate transactions or alliances; provided that the aggregate amounts of ordinary shares, ADSs or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for ordinary shares or ADSs (on an as-converted, as exercised or as-exchanged basis) that we may sell or issue or agree to sell or issue pursuant to this clause (6) shall not exceed 10% of the total number of ordinary shares or ADSs of the Company issued and outstanding immediately following the completion of this offering determined on a fully diluted basis, and provided |
S-32
Table of Contents
further that each recipient of ordinary shares, ADSs or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for ordinary shares or ADSs pursuant to this clause (6) shall execute a lock-up agreement with respect to the remaining portion of the restricted period. |
Each of our directors, executive officers and substantially all of our securityholders have agreed that, without the prior written consent of Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Jefferies LLC on behalf of the underwriters, it will not, and will not publicly disclose an intention to, during the period ending 90 days after the date of this prospectus supplement, (1) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, lend or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any of our ordinary shares or ADSs or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for our ordinary shares or ADSs; (2) enter into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of our ordinary shares or ADSs, whether any such transaction described in (1) or (2) above is to be settled by delivery of our ordinary shares or ADSs or such other securities, in cash or otherwise.
The restrictions described in the immediately preceding paragraph to do not apply in certain circumstances, including:
(1) | transactions relating to our ordinary shares or ADSs or other securities acquired in this offering or in open market transactions after the completion of this offering, provided that no filing under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act or any other public filing or disclosure reporting a reduction in beneficial ownership of ordinary shares or ADSs shall be required or voluntarily made during the restricted period; |
(2) | transfers of our ordinary shares or ADSs as bona fide gifts, by will, to an immediate family member, not involving a change in beneficial ownership or to certain trusts, provided that no filing under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act or any other public filing or disclosure reporting a reduction in beneficial ownership of ordinary shares or ADSs shall be required or voluntarily made during the restricted period and provided further that each transferee or donee signs a lock-up agreement; |
(3) | distributions of our ordinary shares or ADSs or any security convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for our ordinary shares or ADSs to shareholders, direct or indirect affiliates, current partners (general or limited), members or managers of such holders, provided that such distribution shall not involve a disposition for value and no filing under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act or any other public filing or disclosure reporting a reduction in beneficial ownership of ordinary shares or ADSs shall be required or voluntarily made during the restricted period and provided further that each distributee signs a lock-up agreement; |
(4) | the receipt by such holder of our ordinary shares or ADSs upon the exercise of options or warrants outstanding described in this prospectus supplement provided that the ordinary shares or ADSs received upon exercise of such option or warrant shall remain subject to this agreement and provided further no filing under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act, or any other public filing or disclosure of such receipt or transfer by or on behalf of such holder shall be required or shall be voluntarily made within 60 days after the date of this prospectus supplement, and after such 60th day, any filing under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act shall clearly indicate in the footnotes thereto that (A) the filing relates to the circumstances described in this clause (4), (B) no shares were sold by the reporting person and (C) the shares received upon exercise of the option are subject to a lock-up agreement; |
(5) | transfers of our ordinary shares or ADSs to us upon a vesting event of our securities or upon the exercise of options or warrants to purchase our securities on a “cashless” or “net exercise” basis to the extent permitted by the instruments representing such options or warrants so long as such “cashless” exercise or “net exercise” is effected solely by the surrender of outstanding options or warrants to us and our cancellation of all or a portion thereof to pay the exercise price and/or withholding tax obligations provided no filing under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act, or any other public filing or disclosure of such receipt or transfer by or on behalf of such holder shall be required or shall be |
S-33
Table of Contents
voluntarily made within 60 days after the date of this prospectus supplement, and after such 60th day, any filing under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act shall clearly indicate in the footnotes thereto that (A) the filing relates to the circumstances described in this clause (5) and (B) no shares were sold by the reporting person; |
(6) | sales of securities pursuant to the terms of the underwriting agreement; |
(7) | the establishment by such holders of trading plans under Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act provided that such plan does not provide for the transfer of ordinary shares or ADSs during the restricted period and provided further that to the extent a public announcement or filing under the Exchange Act, if any, is required of or voluntarily made by or on behalf of such holder or us regarding the establishment of such plan, such announcement or filing shall include a statement to the effect that no transfer of our ordinary shares or ADSs may be made under such plan during the restricted period; |
(8) | the sale of ordinary shares or ADSs pursuant to a trading plan pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act that is existing as of the date of this prospectus supplement, provided that to the extent a public announcement or filing under the Exchange Act is required of such holder or us regarding the sale, such announcement or filing shall include a statement to the effect that the sale occurred pursuant to such trading plan; |
(9) | transfers of our ordinary shares or ADSs or any security convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for our ordinary shares or ADSs pursuant to a qualified domestic order in connection with a divorce settlement or other court order provided that each transferee signs a lock-up agreement and provided further that no filing under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act or any other public filing or disclosure shall be voluntarily made during the restricted period, and any required filing shall clearly indicate in the footnotes thereto that such transfer is by operation of law, court order or in connection with a divorce settlement, as the case may be; |
(10) | transfers of our ordinary shares or ADSs or any security convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for our ordinary shares or ADSs to us pursuant to any contractual arrangement described in this prospectus supplement under which we have the option to repurchase such shares or a right of first refusal over such shares in the event such holder ceases to provide services to us and provided further that no filing under the Exchange Act or other public filing, report or announcement shall be required or shall be voluntarily made during the restricted period within 60 days after such holder ceases to provide services to us, and after such 60th day, if such holder is required to file a report under the Exchange Act reporting a change in beneficial ownership during the restricted period, such holder shall clearly indicate in the footnotes thereto that the filing relates to the termination of such holder’s employment or other services and no other filing or public announcement shall be made voluntarily during the restricted period in connection with such transfer; and |
(11) | transfers of our ordinary shares or ADSs or any security convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for our ordinary shares or ADSs pursuant to a bona fide third-party tender offer, merger, consolidation, or other similar transaction that is approved by our board of directors. |
Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Jefferies LLC, in their sole discretion, may release the ordinary shares, ADSs and other securities subject to the lock-up agreements described above in whole or in part at any time.
In order to facilitate the offering of the ADSs, the underwriters may engage in transactions that stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the price of the ADSs. Specifically, the underwriters may sell more ADSs than they are obligated to purchase under the underwriting agreement, creating a short position. A short sale is covered if the short position is no greater than the number of ADSs available for purchase by the underwriters under the option to purchase additional shares. The underwriters can close out a covered short sale by exercising the option to purchase additional shares or purchasing ADSs in the open market. In determining the source of ADSs to close out a covered short sale, the underwriters will consider, among other things, the open market price of ADSs
S-34
Table of Contents
compared to the price available under the option to purchase additional shares. The underwriters may also sell ADSs in excess of the option to purchase additional shares, creating a naked short position. The underwriters must close out any naked short position by purchasing ADSs in the open market. A naked short position is more likely to be created if the underwriters are concerned that there may be downward pressure on the price of the ADSs in the open market after pricing that could adversely affect investors who purchase in this offering. As an additional means of facilitating this offering, the underwriters may bid for, and purchase, ADSs in the open market to stabilize the price of the ADSs. These activities may raise or maintain the market price of the ADSs above independent market levels or prevent or retard a decline in the market price of the ADSs. The underwriters are not required to engage in these activities and may end any of these activities at any time.
We and the underwriters have agreed to indemnify each other against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act.
A prospectus supplement in electronic format may be made available on websites maintained by one or more underwriters, or selling group members, if any, participating in this offering. The representatives may agree to allocate a number of ADSs to underwriters for sale to their online brokerage account holders. Internet distributions will be allocated by the representatives to underwriters that may make Internet distributions on the same basis as other allocations.
The underwriters and their respective affiliates are full service financial institutions engaged in various activities, which may include securities trading, commercial and investment banking, financial advisory, investment management, investment research, principal investment, hedging, financing and brokerage activities. Certain of the underwriters and their respective affiliates have, from time to time, performed, and may in the future perform, various financial advisory and investment banking services for us, for which they received or will receive customary fees and expenses.
In addition, in the ordinary course of their various business activities, the underwriters and their respective affiliates may make or hold a broad array of investments and actively trade debt and equity securities (or related derivative securities) and financial instruments (including bank loans) for their own account and for the accounts of their customers and may at any time hold long and short positions in such securities and instruments. Such investment and securities activities may involve our securities and instruments. The underwriters and their respective affiliates may also make investment recommendations or publish or express independent research views in respect of such securities or instruments and may at any time hold, or recommend to clients that they acquire, long or short positions in such securities and instruments.
Pricing of the Offering
The public offering price will be determined between us and the representatives at the time of pricing and may be at a discount to the current market price. Accordingly, the recent market price used throughout this prospectus supplement may not be indicative of the public offering price. Among the factors considered in determining the public offering price were our future prospects and those of our industry in general, our sales, earnings and certain other financial and operating information in recent periods, and the price-earnings ratios, price-sales ratios, market prices of securities, and certain financial and operating information of companies engaged in activities similar to ours.
S-35
Table of Contents
Selling Restrictions
European Economic Area
In relation to each Member State of the European Economic Area (each a “Relevant State”), no ADSs have been offered or will be offered pursuant to the offering to the public in that Relevant State prior to the publication of a prospectus in relation to the ADSs which has been approved by the competent authority in that Relevant State or, where appropriate, approved in another Relevant State and notified to the competent authority in that Relevant State, all in accordance with the Prospectus Regulation, except that it may make an offer to the public in that Relevant State of any ADSs at any time under the following exemptions under the Prospectus Regulation:
(a) | to any legal entity which is a qualified investor as defined under the Prospectus Regulation; |
(b) | to fewer than 150 natural or legal persons (other than qualified investors as defined under the Prospectus Regulation), subject to obtaining the prior consent of the representatives for any such offer; or |
(c) | in any other circumstances falling within Article 1(4) of the Prospectus Regulation, |
provided that no such offer of the ADSs shall require us or any representative to publish a prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the Prospectus Regulation or supplement a prospectus pursuant to Article 23 of the Prospectus Regulation.
For the purposes of this provision, the expression an “offer to the public” in relation to the ADSs in any Relevant State means the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and any ADSs to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase or subscribe for any Shares, and the expression “Prospectus Regulation” means Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 (as amended).
United Kingdom
No ADSs have been offered or will be offered pursuant to the offering to the public in the United Kingdom prior to the publication of a prospectus in relation to the ADSs which has been approved by the Financial Conduct Authority, except that it may make an offer to the public in the United Kingdom of any ADSs at any time:
(a) | to any legal entity which is a qualified investor as defined under the Prospectus Regulation; |
(b) | to fewer than 150 natural or legal persons (other than qualified investors as defined under Article 2 of the UK Prospectus Regulation), subject to obtaining the prior consent of the representatives for any such offer; or |
(c) | in any other circumstances falling within Section 86 of the FSMA, |
provided that no such offer of the ADSs shall require us or any of our representatives to publish a prospectus pursuant to Section 85 of the FSMA or supplement a prospectus pursuant to Article 23 of the UK Prospectus Regulation.
For the purposes of this provision, the expression an “offer to the public” in relation to the ADSs in the United Kingdom means the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and any ADSs to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase or subscribe for any ADSs and the expression “UK Prospectus Regulation” means Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 and the expression “FSMA” means the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.
S-36
Table of Contents
Canada
The ADSs may be sold only to purchasers purchasing, or deemed to be purchasing, as principal that are accredited investors, as defined in National Instrument 45-106 Prospectus Exemptions or subsection 73.3(1) of the Securities Act (Ontario), and are permitted clients, as defined in National Instrument 31-103 Registration Requirements, Exemptions and Ongoing Registrant Obligations. Any resale of the ADSs must be made in accordance with an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the prospectus requirements of applicable securities laws.
Securities legislation in certain provinces or territories of Canada may provide a purchaser with remedies for rescission or damages if this prospectus (including any amendment thereto) contains a misrepresentation, provided that the remedies for rescission or damages are exercised by the purchaser within the time limit prescribed by the securities legislation of the purchaser’s province or territory. The purchaser should refer to any applicable provisions of the securities legislation of the purchaser’s province or territory for particulars of these rights or consult with a legal advisor.
Pursuant to section 3A.3 (or, in the case of securities issued or guaranteed by the government of a non-Canadian jurisdiction, section 3A.4) of National Instrument 33-105 Underwriting Conflicts (NI 33-105), the underwriters are not required to comply with the disclosure requirements of NI 33-105 regarding underwriter conflicts of interest in connection with this offering.
Hong Kong
Our ADSs may not be offered or sold by means of any document other than (i) in circumstances which do not constitute an offer to the public within the meaning of the Companies (Winding Up and Miscellaneous Provisions) Ordinance (Cap. 32, Laws of Hong Kong), (ii) to “professional investors” within the meaning of the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap.571, Laws of Hong Kong) and any rules made thereunder, or (iii) in other circumstances which do not result in the document being a “prospectus” within the meaning of the Companies (Winding Up and Miscellaneous Provisions) Ordinance (Cap. 32, Laws of Hong Kong), and no advertisement, invitation, or document relating to our ADSs may be issued or may be in the possession of any person for the purpose of issue (in each case whether in Hong Kong or elsewhere), which is directed at, or the contents of which are likely to be accessed or read by, the public in Hong Kong (except if permitted to do so under the laws of Hong Kong) other than with respect to our ADSs which are or are intended to be disposed of only to persons outside Hong Kong or only to “professional investors” within the meaning of the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571, Laws of Hong Kong) and any rules made thereunder.
Singapore
This prospectus has not been registered as a prospectus with the Monetary Authority of Singapore. Accordingly, this prospectus and any other document or material in connection with the offer or sale, or invitation for subscription or purchase, of our ADSs may not be circulated or distributed, nor may our ADSs be offered or sold, or be made the subject of an invitation for subscription or purchase, whether directly or indirectly, to persons in Singapore other than (i) to an institutional investor under Section 274 of the Securities and Futures Act, Chapter 289 of Singapore (SFA) (ii) to a relevant person, or any person pursuant to Section 275(1A), and in accordance with the conditions, specified in Section 275 of the SFA, or (iii) otherwise pursuant to, and in accordance with the conditions of, any other applicable provision of the SFA.
Where our ADSs are subscribed or purchased under Section 275 by a relevant person which is: (i) a corporation (which is not an accredited investor) the sole business of which is to hold investments and the entire share capital of which is owned by one or more individuals, each of whom is an accredited investor; or (ii) a trust (where the trustee is not an accredited investor) whose sole purpose is to hold investments and each beneficiary is an accredited investor, shares, debentures and units of shares and debentures of that corporation or the
S-37
Table of Contents
beneficiaries’ rights and interest in that trust shall not be transferable for six months after that corporation or that trust has acquired our ADSs under Section 275 except: (i) to an institutional investor under Section 274 of the SFA or to a relevant person, or any person pursuant to Section 275(1A), and in accordance with the conditions, specified in Section 275 of the SFA; (ii) where no consideration is given for the transfer; or (iii) by operation of law.
Solely for purposes of the notification requirements under Section 309B(1)(c) of the Securities and Futures Act, Chapter 289 of Singapore. The ADSs are “prescribed capital markets products” (as defined in the Securities and Futures (Capital Markets Products) Regulations 2018) and Excluded Investment Products (as defined in MAS Notice SFA 04-N12: Notice on the Sale of Investment Products and MAS Notice FAA-N16: Notice on Recommendations on Investment Products).
Dubai International Financial Center
This prospectus relates to an Exempt Offer in accordance with the Offered Securities Rules of the Dubai Financial Services Authority (“DFSA”). This prospectus is intended for distribution only to persons of a type specified in the Offered Securities Rules of the DFSA. It must not be delivered to, or relied on by, any other person. The DFSA has no responsibility for reviewing or verifying any documents in connection with Exempt Offers. The DFSA has not approved this prospectus nor taken steps to verify the information set forth herein and has no responsibility for the prospectus. The shares to which this prospectus relates may be illiquid and/or subject to restrictions on their resale. Prospective purchasers of the ADSs offered should conduct their own due diligence on the ADSs. If you do not understand the contents of this prospectus you should consult an authorized financial advisor.
United Arab Emirates
The ADSs have not been offered or sold, and will not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, in the United Arab Emirates, except: (1) in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations of the United Arab Emirates; and (2) through persons or corporate entities authorized and licensed to provide investment advice and/or engage in brokerage activity and/or trade in respect of foreign securities in the United Arab Emirates. The information contained in this prospectus does not constitute a public offer of securities in the United Arab Emirates in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law (Federal Law No. 8 of 1984 (as amended)) or otherwise and is not intended to be a public offer and is addressed only to persons who are sophisticated investors.
Australia
No placement document, prospectus, product disclosure statement or other disclosure document has been lodged with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (“ASIC”), in relation to the offering. This prospectus does not constitute a prospectus, product disclosure statement or other disclosure document under the Corporations Act 2001 (the “Corporations Act”), and does not purport to include the information required for a prospectus, product disclosure statement or other disclosure document under the Corporations Act.
Any offer in Australia of the ADSs may only be made to persons (the “Exempt Investors”) who are “sophisticated investors” (within the meaning of section 708(8) of the Corporations Act), “professional investors” (within the meaning of section 708(11) of the Corporations Act) or otherwise pursuant to one or more exemptions contained in section 708 of the Corporations Act so that it is lawful to offer the ADSs without disclosure to investors under Chapter 6D of the Corporations Act.
The ADSs applied for by Exempt Investors in Australia must not be offered for sale in Australia in the period of 12 months after the date of allotment under the offering, except in circumstances where disclosure to investors under Chapter 6D of the Corporations Act would not be required pursuant to an exemption under section 708 of the Corporations Act or otherwise or where the offer is pursuant to a disclosure document which
S-38
Table of Contents
complies with Chapter 6D of the Corporations Act. Any person acquiring ADSs must observe such Australian on-sale restrictions.
This prospectus contains general information only and does not take account of the investment objectives, financial situation or particular needs of any particular person. It does not contain any securities recommendations or financial product advice. Before making an investment decision, investors need to consider whether the information in this prospectus is appropriate to their needs, objectives and circumstances, and, if necessary, seek expert advice on those matters.
Switzerland
The ADSs may not be publicly offered in Switzerland and will not be listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (“SIX”) or on any other stock exchange or regulated trading facility in Switzerland. This document has been prepared without regard to the disclosure standards for issuance prospectuses under art. 652a or art. 1156 of the Swiss Code of Obligations or the disclosure standards for listing prospectuses under art. 27 ff. of the SIX Listing Rules or the listing rules of any other stock exchange or regulated trading facility in Switzerland. Neither this document nor any other offering or marketing material relating to the ADSs or the offering may be publicly distributed or otherwise made publicly available in Switzerland.
Neither this document nor any other offering or marketing material relating to the offering, Legend Biotech Corporation, or the ADSs have been or will be filed with or approved by any Swiss regulatory authority. In particular, this document will not be filed with, and the offer of ADSs will not be supervised by, the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority FINMA (“FINMA”), and the offer of ADSs has not been and will not be authorized under the Swiss Federal Act on Collective Investment Schemes (“CISA”). The investor protection afforded to acquirers of interests in collective investment schemes under the CISA does not extend to acquirers of ADSs.
Japan
No registration pursuant to Article 4, paragraph 1 of the Financial Instruments and Exchange Law of Japan (Law No. 25 of 1948, as amended) (the “FIEL”) has been made or will be made with respect to the solicitation of the application for the acquisition of the ADSs.
Accordingly, the ADSs have not been, directly or indirectly, offered or sold and will not be, directly or indirectly, offered or sold in Japan or to, or for the benefit of, any resident of Japan (which term as used herein means any person resident in Japan, including any corporation or other entity organized under the laws of Japan) or to others for re-offering or re-sale, directly or indirectly, in Japan or to, or for the benefit of, any resident of Japan except pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements, and otherwise in compliance with, the FIEL and the other applicable laws and regulations of Japan.
For Qualified Institutional Investors (“QII”)
Please note that the solicitation for newly-issued or secondary securities (each as described in Paragraph 2, Article 4 of the FIEL) in relation to the ADSs constitutes either a “QII only private placement” or a “QII only secondary distribution” (each as described in Paragraph 1, Article 23-13 of the FIEL). Disclosure regarding any such solicitation, as is otherwise prescribed in Paragraph 1, Article 4 of the FIEL, has not been made in relation to the ADSs. The ADSs may only be transferred to QIIs.
For Non-QII Investors
Please note that the solicitation for newly-issued or secondary securities (each as described in Paragraph 2, Article 4 of the FIEL) in relation to the ADSs constitutes either a “small number private placement” or a “small
S-39
Table of Contents
number private secondary distribution” (each as is described in Paragraph 4, Article 23-13 of the FIEL). Disclosure regarding any such solicitation, as is otherwise prescribed in Paragraph 1, Article 4 of the FIEL, has not been made in relation to the ADSs. The ADSs may only be transferred en bloc without subdivision to a single investor.
Cayman Islands
This prospectus does not constitute a public offer of the ADSs or ordinary shares, whether by way of sale or subscription, in the Cayman Islands. Each underwriter has represented and agreed that it has not offered or sold, and will not offer or sell, directly or indirectly, any ADSs or ordinary shares in the Cayman Islands.
Indonesia
This prospectus does not, and is not intended to, constitute a public offering in Indonesia under Law Number 8 of 1995 regarding Capital Market. This prospectus may not be distributed in the Republic of Indonesia and the ADSs may not be offered or sold in the Republic of Indonesia or to Indonesian citizens wherever they are domiciled, or to Indonesia residents, in a manner which constitutes a public offering under the laws of the Republic of Indonesia.
Israel
In the State of Israel, the ADSs offered hereby may not be offered to any person or entity other than the following:
• | a fund for joint investments in trust (i.e., mutual fund), as such term is defined in the Law for Joint Investments in Trust, 5754-1994, or a management company of such a fund; |
• | a provident fund as defined in Section 47(a)(2) of the Income Tax Ordinance of the State of Israel, or a management company of such a fund; |
• | an insurer, as defined in the Law for Oversight of Insurance Transactions, 5741-1981, a banking entity or satellite entity, as such terms are defined in the Banking Law (Licensing), 5741-1981, other than a joint services company, acting for their own account or for the account of investors of the type listed in Section 15A(b) of the Securities Law 1968; |
• | a company that is licensed as a portfolio manager, as such term is defined in Section 8(b) of the Law for the Regulation of Investment Advisors and Portfolio Managers, 5755-1995, acting on its own account or for the account of investors of the type listed in Section 15A(b) of the Securities Law 1968; |
• | a company that is licensed as an investment advisor, as such term is defined in Section 7(c) of the Law for the Regulation of Investment Advisors and Portfolio Managers, 5755-1995, acting on its own account; |
• | a company that is a member of the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, acting on its own account or for the account of investors of the type listed in Section 15A(b) of the Securities Law 1968; |
• | an underwriter fulfilling the conditions of Section 56(c) of the Securities Law, 5728-1968; |
• | a venture capital fund (defined as an entity primarily involved in investments in companies which, at the time of investment, (i) are primarily engaged in research and development or manufacture of new technological products or processes and (ii) involve above-average risk); |
• | an entity primarily engaged in capital markets activities in which all of the equity owners meet one or more of the above criteria; and |
• | an entity, other than an entity formed for the purpose of purchasing the ADSs in this offering, in which shareholders’ equity (including pursuant to foreign accounting rules, international accounting |
S-40
Table of Contents
regulations and U.S. generally accepted accounting rules, as defined in the Securities Law Regulations (Preparation of Annual Financial Statements), 1993) is in excess of NIS 250 million. |
Any offeree of the ADSs offered hereby in the State of Israel shall be required to submit written confirmation that it falls within the scope of one of the above criteria. This prospectus will not be distributed or directed to investors in the State of Israel who do not fall within one of the above criteria.
Korea
The ADSs may not be offered, sold and delivered directly or indirectly, or offered or sold to any person for reoffering or resale, directly or indirectly, in Korea or to any resident of Korea except pursuant to the applicable laws and regulations of Korea, including the Korea Securities and Exchange Act and the Foreign Exchange Transaction Law and the decrees and regulations thereunder. The ADSs have not been registered with the Financial Services Commission of Korea for public offering in Korea. Furthermore, the ADSs may not be resold to Korean residents unless the purchaser of the ADSs complies with all applicable regulatory requirements (including but not limited to government approval requirements under the Foreign Exchange Transaction Law and its subordinate decrees and regulations) in connection with the purchase of the ADSs.
Kuwait
Unless all necessary approvals from the Kuwait Ministry of Commerce and Industry required by Law No. 31/1990 ‘‘Regulating the Negotiation of Securities and Establishment of Investment Funds,’’ its Executive Regulations and the various Ministerial Orders issued pursuant thereto or in connection therewith, have been given in relation to the marketing and sale of the ADSs, these may not be marketed, offered for sale, nor sold in the State of Kuwait. Neither this prospectus (including any related document), nor any of the information contained therein is intended to lead to the conclusion of any contract of whatsoever nature within Kuwait.
Malaysia
The offering of the ADSs has not been and will not be approved by the Securities Commission Malaysia, or SC, and this document has not been and will not be registered as a prospectus with the SC under the Malaysian Capital Markets and Services Act 2007, or CMSA. Accordingly, no ADSs or invitation to purchase is being made to any person in Malaysia under this document except to persons falling within any of paragraphs 2(g)(i) to (xi) of Schedule 5 of the CMSA and distributed only by a holder of a Capital Markets Services License who carries on the business of dealing in securities.
People’s Republic of China
This prospectus may not be circulated or distributed in the PRC and the ADSs may not be offered or sold, and will not offer or sell to any person for re-offering or resale directly or indirectly to any resident of the PRC except pursuant to applicable laws and regulations of the PRC.
Philippines
THE ADSS BEING OFFERED OR SOLD HAVE NOT BEEN AND WILL NOT BE REGISTERED WITH THE PHILIPPINE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION UNDER THE SECURITIES REGULATION CODE OF THE PHILIPPINES, OR THE SRC. ANY FUTURE OFFER OR SALE OF THE ADSS WITHIN THE PHILIPPINES IS SUBJECT TO THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS UNDER THE SRC UNLESS SUCH OFFER OR SALE QUALIFIES AS A TRANSACTION EXEMPT FROM THE REGISTRATION UNDER THE SRC.
S-41
Table of Contents
Accordingly, this prospectus, and any other document or material in connection with the offer or sale, or invitation for subscription or purchase of the ADSs, may not be circulated or distributed in the Philippines, and the ADSs may not be offered or sold, or be made the subject of an invitation for subscription or purchase, to persons in the Philippines, other than (i) to qualified investors in transactions that are exempt from the registration requirements of the SRC; and (ii) by persons licensed to make such offers or sales in the Philippines.
Qatar
In the State of Qatar, the offer contained herein is made on an exclusive basis to the specifically intended recipient thereof, upon that person’s request and initiative, for personal use only and shall in no way be construed as a general offer for the sale of securities to the public or an attempt to do business as a bank, an investment company or otherwise in the State of Qatar. This prospectus and the underlying securities have not been approved or licensed by the Qatar Central Bank or the Qatar Financial Center Regulatory Authority or any other regulator in the State of Qatar. The information contained in this prospectus shall only be shared with any third parties in Qatar on a need to know basis for the purpose of evaluating the contained offer. Any distribution of this prospectus by the recipient to third parties in Qatar beyond the terms hereof is not permitted and shall be at the liability of such recipient.
Saudi Arabia
This prospectus may not be distributed in the Kingdom except to such persons as are permitted under the Offers of Securities Regulations issued by the Capital Market Authority. The Capital Market Authority does not make any representation as to the accuracy or completeness of this prospectus, and expressly disclaims any liability whatsoever for any loss arising from, or incurred in reliance upon, any part of this prospectus. Prospective purchasers of the securities offered hereby should conduct their own due diligence on the accuracy of the information relating to the securities. If you do not understand the contents of this prospectus you should consult an authorized financial adviser.
Taiwan
The ADSs have not been and will not be registered or filed with, or approved by, the Financial Supervisory Commission of Taiwan pursuant to relevant securities laws and regulations and may not be offered or sold in Taiwan through a public offering or in circumstances which constitute an offer within the meaning of the Securities and Exchange Act of Taiwan or relevant laws and regulations that require a registration, filing or approval of the Financial Supervisory Commission of Taiwan. No person or entity in Taiwan has been authorized to offer or sell the ADSs in Taiwan through a public offering or in such an offering that require registration, filing or approval of the Financial Supervisory Commission of Taiwan except pursuant to the applicable laws and regulations of Taiwan and the competent authority’s rulings thereunder.
Thailand
This prospectus does not, and is not intended to, constitute a public offering in Thailand. The ADSs may not be offered or sold to persons in Thailand, unless such offering is made under the exemptions from approval and filing requirements under applicable laws, or under circumstances which do not constitute an offer for sale of the shares to the public for the purposes of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1992 of Thailand, nor require approval from the Office of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Thailand.
Vietnam
This offering of ADSs has not been and will not be registered with the State Securities Commission of Vietnam under the Law on Securities of Vietnam and its guiding decrees and circulars. The ADSs will not be offered or sold in Vietnam through a public offering and will not be offered or sold to Vietnamese persons other than those who are licensed to invest in offshore securities under the Law on Investment of Vietnam.
S-42
Table of Contents
MATERIAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS
The following is a general summary of certain Cayman Islands, People’s Republic of China and United States federal income tax consequences relevant to an investment in our ADSs and ordinary shares. To the extent that the discussion below relates to matters of Cayman Islands tax law, it is the opinion of Harney Westwood & Riegels, our Cayman Islands counsel. To the extent that the discussion below relates to matters of United States federal income tax law, it is the opinion of Cooley LLP, our United States counsel. The discussion is not intended to be, nor should it be construed as, legal or tax advice to any particular prospective purchaser. The discussion is based on laws and relevant interpretations thereof in effect as of the date of this prospectus supplement, all of which are subject to change or different interpretations, possibly with retroactive effect. The discussion does not address U.S. state or local tax laws, or tax laws of jurisdictions other than the Cayman Islands, the People’s Republic of China and the United States. You should consult your tax advisors with respect to the consequences of acquisition, ownership and disposition of our ADSs and ordinary shares.
Cayman Islands Taxation
The Cayman Islands currently levies no taxes on individuals or corporations based upon profits, income, gains or appreciation and there is no taxation in the nature of inheritance tax or estate duty.
No other taxes are likely to be material to us levied by the Government of the Cayman Islands except for stamp duties which may be applicable on instruments executed in, or after execution brought within, the jurisdiction of the Cayman Islands. The Cayman Islands is not party to any double tax treaties which are applicable to any payments made to or by our company. There are no exchange control regulations or currency restrictions in the Cayman Islands.
Payments of dividends and capital in respect of our ordinary shares and ADSs will not be subject to taxation in the Cayman Islands and no withholding will be required on the payment of dividends or capital to any holder of our ordinary shares or ADSs, nor will gains derived from the disposal of our ordinary shares or ADSs be subject to Cayman Islands income or corporation tax.
No stamp duty is payable in respect of the issue of our ordinary shares or on an instrument of transfer in respect of our ordinary shares.
The Cayman Islands enacted the International Tax Co-operation (Economic Substance) Act (2021 revisions), which became effective on January 1, 2019, together with the Guidance Notes published by the Cayman Islands Tax Information Authority from time to time. A Cayman Islands company is required to comply with the economic substance requirements from July 1, 2019 and make an annual report in the Cayman Islands as to whether or not it is carrying on any relevant activities and if it is, it would be required to satisfy an economic substance test.
Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences to U.S. Holders
The following discussion describes the material U.S. federal income tax consequences relating to the ownership and disposition of our ADSs by U.S. Holders (as defined below). This discussion applies to U.S. Holders that purchase ADSs pursuant to this offering and hold such ADSs as capital assets within the meaning of Section 1221 of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or the Code. This discussion 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 consequences that may be relevant to specific U.S. Holders in light of their particular circumstances (such as the effects of Section 451(b) of the Code conforming the timing of certain income accruals to financial statements) or to U.S. Holders subject to special treatment under U.S. federal income tax law (such as certain financial institutions, insurance companies, broker-
S-43
Table of Contents
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 or residents of the United States, persons who hold ADSs as part of a “straddle,” “hedge,” “conversion transaction,” “synthetic security” or integrated investment, persons who received their ADSs as compensatory payments, persons that have a “functional currency” other than the U.S. dollar, persons that own directly, indirectly or through attribution 10% or more of our shares by vote or value, corporations that accumulate earnings to avoid U.S. federal income tax, partnerships and other pass-through entities and arrangements that are classified as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and investors in such pass-through entities). This discussion does not address any U.S. state or local or non-U.S. tax consequences or any U.S. federal estate, gift or alternative minimum tax consequences.
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, (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 the ADSs will depend in part upon the status and activities of such entity or arrangement and the particular partner. Any such entity or arrangement should consult its own tax advisor regarding the U.S. federal income tax consequences applicable to it and its partners of the purchase, ownership and disposition of ADSs.
Persons considering an investment in ADSs should consult their own 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.
Passive Foreign Investment Company Consequences
In general, a corporation organized outside the United States will be treated as a passive foreign investment company, or PFIC, for any taxable year in which either (1) at least 75% of its gross income is “passive income” (the “PFIC income test”), or (2) on average at least 50% of its assets, determined on a quarterly basis, are assets that produce passive income or are held for the production of passive income (the “PFIC asset test”). Passive income for this purpose generally includes, among other things, dividends, interest, 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 income and the nature, composition and value of our assets (which may be determined based on the fair market value of each asset, with the value of goodwill and going concern value being determined in large part by reference to the market value of our ADSs, which may be volatile). Our status may also depend, in part, on how quickly we utilize the cash proceeds from this offering in our business. Based on our operating history and the composition of our income and valuation of our assets, including goodwill, we do not believe we were a PFIC for our taxable year ending December 31, 2020, and based on current estimates, and not audited financials, of our income and valuation of our assets, we do not expect to be a PFIC for our taxable year ending December 31, 2021. 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 and that the IRS
S-44
Table of Contents
would not successfully challenge our position. Our status as a PFIC is a fact-intensive determination made on an annual basis after the end of each taxable year, including the current taxable year. Accordingly, our U.S. counsel expresses no opinion with respect to our PFIC status for our taxable year ending December 31, 2020, and expresses no opinion with regard to our expectations regarding our PFIC status for our taxable year ending December 31, 2021 or any 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 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 must generally 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, and any gain recognized from such deemed sale would be taxed under the PFIC excess distribution regime. After the deemed sale election, the U.S. Holder’s ADSs would not be treated as shares of a PFIC unless we subsequently become a PFIC.
If we are a PFIC for any taxable year during which a U.S. Holder holds ADSs and one of our non-U.S. corporate subsidiaries 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 taxed under the PFIC excess distribution regime on 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 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 for each taxable year of the U.S. Holder, the excess of the fair market value of ADSs held at the end of such taxable year over the adjusted tax basis of such ADSs. The U.S. Holder would also 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.
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
S-45
Table of Contents
not apply to any non-U.S. subsidiaries that we may organize or acquire in the future. 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 that we may organize or acquire in the future notwithstanding the U.S. Holder’s mark-to-market election for the ADSs.
The tax consequences that would apply if we are a PFIC would also be different from those described above if a U.S. Holder were able to make a valid qualified electing fund, or QEF, election. At this time, we do not expect to provide U.S. Holders with the information necessary for a U.S. Holder to make a QEF election. Prospective investors should assume that a QEF election will not be available.
Each U.S. person that is an investor 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 own 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 of a PFIC.
Distributions
As described in the section titled “Dividend Policy,” we do not anticipate declaring or paying dividends to holders of our ADSs in the foreseeable future. However, if we make a distribution contrary to the expectation, 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 may not 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. Subject to certain complex conditions and limitations, Cayman Island taxes withheld on any distributions on ADSs may be eligible for credit against a U.S. Holder’s federal income tax liability. The rules relating to the determination of the U.S. foreign tax credit are complex, and U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the availability of a foreign tax credit in their particular circumstances and the possibility of claiming an itemized deduction (in lieu of the foreign tax credit) for any foreign taxes paid or withheld.
Distributions on ADSs that are treated as dividends generally 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 for taxation to non-corporate U.S. Holders 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-United States corporation (other than a corporation that is classified as a PFIC 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 which the Secretary of Treasury of the United States determines is satisfactory for purposes of this provision and which includes an exchange of information provision, or (b) with respect to any
S-46
Table of Contents
dividend it pays on shares that are readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States. Our ADSs will generally be considered to be readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States for so long as they are listed on The Nasdaq Global Select Market. Each U.S. Holder is advised to consult its tax advisors regarding the availability of the reduced tax rate on dividends with regard to its particular circumstances.
Sale, Exchange or Other 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, exchange or other 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, exchange or other disposition, the ADSs were held by the U.S. Holder for more than one year. Any capital gain of a non-corporate 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.
Medicare Tax
Certain U.S. Holders that are individuals, estates or trusts and whose income exceeds certain thresholds generally are subject to a 3.8% tax on all or a portion of their net investment income, which may include their gross dividend income and net gains from the disposition of ADSs. If you are a United States person that is an individual, estate or trust, you are encouraged to consult your tax advisors regarding the applicability of this Medicare tax to your income and gains in respect of your investment in ADSs.
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. U.S. Holders paying more than US$100,000 for ADSs may be required to file IRS Form 926 (Return by a U.S. Transferor of Property to a Foreign Corporation) reporting this payment. Substantial penalties may be imposed upon a U.S. Holder that fails to comply with the required information reporting. U.S. holders are thus encouraged to consult their U.S. tax advisors with respect to these and other reporting requirements that may apply to their acquisition of the ADSs.
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 holder (1) fails to provide an accurate United States taxpayer identification number or otherwise establish a basis for exemption (usually on IRS Form W-9), or (2) 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 own tax advisors regarding the backup withholding tax and information reporting rules.
S-47
Table of Contents
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.
PRC Taxation
Under the PRC Enterprise Income Tax Law and its implementation rules, an enterprise established outside China with “de facto management body” within China is considered as a Tax Resident Enterprise for PRC enterprise income tax purposes and is generally subject to a uniform 25% enterprise income tax rate on its worldwide income. The implementation rules of the PRC Enterprise Income Tax Law define the term “de facto management body” as the body that exercises full and substantial control and overall management over the business, productions, personnel, accounts and properties of an enterprise. In April 2009, the SAT issued SAT Circular 82, which provides certain specific criteria for determining whether the “de facto management body” of a PRC-controlled enterprise that is incorporated offshore is located in China. Although this circular only applies to offshore enterprises controlled by PRC enterprises or PRC enterprise groups, not those controlled by PRC individuals or foreigners, the criteria set forth in the circular may reflect the SAT’s general position on how the “de facto management body” text should be applied in determining the tax resident status of all offshore enterprises. According to SAT Circular 82, an offshore incorporated enterprise controlled by a PRC enterprise or a PRC enterprise group will be regarded as a PRC tax resident by virtue of having its “de facto management body” in China if all of the following conditions are met: (i) the primary location of the day-to-day operational management is in China; (ii) decisions relating to the enterprise’s financial and human resource matters are made or are subject to approval by organizations or personnel located in China; (iii) the enterprise’s primary assets, accounting books and records, company seals, and board and shareholder resolutions, are located or maintained in China; and (iv) at least 50% of board members with voting rights or senior executives habitually reside in China.
We believe that we should not be considered as a PRC resident enterprise for PRC tax purposes as (i) we are incorporated outside of China and not controlled by a PRC enterprise or PRC enterprise group; and (ii) we do not meet all of the conditions above. However, the tax resident status of an enterprise is subject to determination by the PRC tax authorities and uncertainties remain with respect to the interpretation of the term “de facto management body.” There can be no assurance that PRC tax authorities will ultimately not take a different view.
If the PRC tax authorities determine that we are a PRC resident enterprise for enterprise income tax purposes, our worldwide income could be subject to 25% enterprise income tax; and any dividends payable to non-resident enterprise holders of our ordinary shares or ADSs may be treated as income derived from sources within China and therefore, subject to a 10% withholding tax (or 20% in the case of non-resident individual holders) unless an applicable income tax treaty provides otherwise. In addition, capital gains realized by non-resident enterprise shareholders (including our ADS holders) upon the disposition of our ordinary shares or ADSs may be treated as income derived from sources within PRC and therefore, subject to 10% income tax (or 20% in the case of non-resident individual shareholders or ADS holders) unless an applicable income tax treaty provides otherwise. It is unclear whether non-PRC shareholders of our company would be able to claim the benefits of any tax treaties between their country of tax residence and the PRC in the event that we are treated as a PRC resident enterprise.
S-48
Table of Contents
We are being represented by Cooley LLP with respect to certain legal matters as to United States federal securities and New York State law. The underwriters are being represented by Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP with respect to certain legal matters as to United States federal securities and New York State law. The validity of the ordinary shares represented by the ADSs offered in this offering and legal matters as to Cayman Islands law will be passed upon for us by Harney Westwood & Riegels. Certain legal matters as to the People’s Republic of China, or PRC, law will be passed upon for us by JunHe LLP and the underwriters by Jingtian & Gongcheng. Cooley LLP may rely upon Harney Westwood & Riegels with respect to matters governed by Cayman Islands law and JunHe LLP with respect to matters governed by PRC law. Our controlling shareholder Genscript is being represented by Jones Day with respect to certain legal matters as to United States federal securities law, New York State law and Hong Kong law.
The consolidated financial statements of Legend Biotech Corporation appearing in Legend Biotech Corporation’s Annual Report (Form 20-F) for the year ended December 31, 2020 have been audited by Ernst & Young Hua Ming LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, as set forth in their report thereon, included therein, and incorporated herein by reference. Such consolidated financial statements are incorporated herein by reference in reliance upon such report given on the authority of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing.
The offices of Ernst & Young Hua Ming LLP are located at 50/F, Shanghai World Financial Center, 100 Century Avenue, Pudong New Area, Shanghai 200120, the People’s Republic of China.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
We are currently subject to periodic reporting and other informational requirements of the Exchange Act, as applicable to foreign private issuers. Accordingly, we are required to file reports, including annual reports on Form 20-F and other information with the SEC. The SEC maintains a website that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding registrants that file electronically with the SEC. The address is www.sec.gov.
As a foreign private issuer, we are exempt under the Exchange Act from, among other things, the rules prescribing the furnishing and content of proxy statements, and our executive officers, directors and principal shareholders are exempt from the reporting and short-swing profit recovery provisions contained in Section 16 of the Exchange Act. In addition, we are not required under the Exchange Act to file periodic reports and financial statements with the SEC as frequently or as promptly as U.S. companies whose securities are registered under the Exchange Act. However, we intend to furnish the depositary with our annual reports, which will include a review of operations and annual audited consolidated financial statements prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States, and all notices of shareholders’ meetings and other reports and communications that are made generally available to our shareholders. The depositary will make such notices, reports and communications available to holders of ADSs and will mail to all record holders of ADSs the information contained in any notice of a shareholders’ meeting received by the depositary from us if we ask it to.
This prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus are part of a registration statement on Form F-3 that we filed with the SEC and do not contain all of the information in the registration statement. The full registration statement may be obtained from the SEC or us, as provided below. Forms of the documents establishing the terms of the offered securities are or may be filed as exhibits to the registration statement to which this prospectus supplement relates or otherwise with the SEC. Statements in this prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus about these documents are summaries and each statement is qualified in all respects by reference to the document to which it refers. You should refer to the actual documents for a more complete description of the relevant matters. You may inspect a copy of the registration statement through the SEC’s website, as provided above.
S-49
Table of Contents
INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE
The SEC allows us to “incorporate by reference” the information we file with them. This means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those documents. Each document incorporated by reference is current only as of the date of such document, and the incorporation by reference of such documents shall not create any implication that there has been no change in our affairs since the date thereof or that the information contained therein is current as of any time subsequent to its date. The information incorporated by reference is considered to be a part of this prospectus supplement and should be read with the same care. When we update the information contained in documents that have been incorporated by reference by making future filings with the SEC, the information incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement is considered to be automatically updated and superseded. In other words, in the case of a conflict or inconsistency between information contained in this prospectus supplement and information incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement, you should rely on the information contained in the document that was filed later.
The documents we are incorporating by reference are:
• | our annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 filed with the SEC on April 2, 2021 (File No. 001-39307); |
• | the description of the securities contained in our registration statement on Form 8-A filed on June 2, 2020 (File No. 001-39307) pursuant to Section 12 of the Exchange Act, together with all amendments and reports filed for the purpose of updating that description; |
• | our Reports on Form 6-K furnished to the SEC on April 30, 2021; May 13, 2021; May 20, 2021; May 27, 2021; June 1, 2021; June 10, 2021; June 22, 2021; August 23, 2021; September 13, 2021; October 18, 2021; November 1, 2021; December 6, 2021, December 13, 2021 and December 14, 2021; |
• | any future annual reports on Form 20-F filed with the SEC after the date of this prospectus supplement and prior to the termination of the offering of the securities offered by this prospectus supplement; and |
• | any future current reports on Form 6-K that we furnish to the SEC on or after the date of this prospectus supplement and prior to the termination of the offering of the securities offered by this prospectus supplement that are identified in such reports as being incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement. |
Unless expressly incorporated by reference, nothing in this prospectus supplement shall be deemed to incorporate by reference information furnished to, but not filed with, the SEC. Copies of all documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement, other than exhibits to those documents unless such exhibits are specially incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement, will be provided at no cost to each person, including any beneficial owner, who receives a copy of this prospectus on the written or oral request of that person made to:
Legend Biotech Corporation
2101 Cottontail Lane
Somerset, NJ 08873
(732) 317-5050
You may also access these documents on our website, www.legendbiotech.com. The information contained on this website is not a part of this prospectus supplement.
You should rely only on information contained in, or incorporated by reference into, this prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus. We have not authorized anyone to provide you with information different from that contained in this prospectus supplement or incorporated by reference in this prospectus
S-50
Table of Contents
supplement and accompanying prospectus. We are not making offers to sell the securities in any jurisdiction in which such an offer or solicitation is not authorized or in which the person making such offer or solicitation is not qualified to do so or to anyone to whom it is unlawful to make such offer or solicitation.
S-51
Table of Contents
PROSPECTUS
Legend Biotech Corporation
Ordinary Shares
Debt Securities
We may offer and sell ordinary shares, including ordinary shares represented by American depositary shares, or ADSs, or debt securities in any combination from time to time in one or more offerings, at prices and on terms described in one or more supplements to this prospectus. In addition, this prospectus may be used to offer securities for the account of persons other than us.
Each time we or any selling security holder sell securities, we will provide the specific terms of any offering in one or more supplements to this prospectus. Any prospectus supplement may also add, update, or change information contained in this prospectus. You should carefully read this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement as well as the documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement before you purchase any of the securities offered hereby.
We or any selling security holder may sell the securities independently or together with any other securities registered hereunder to or through one or more underwriters, dealers and agents, or directly to purchasers, or through a combination of these methods, on a continuous or delayed basis. The names of any underwriters, dealers, or agents involved in the sale of our securities, their compensation and any over-allotment options held by them will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement. For a more complete description of the plan of distribution of these securities, see “Plan of Distribution” beginning on page 38 of this prospectus.
We are an “emerging growth company” and a “foreign private issuer” under applicable U.S. federal securities laws and are eligible for reduced public company reporting requirements. See “Our Company—Implications of Being an Emerging Growth Company” and “Our Company—Implications of Being a Foreign Private Issuer and a Controlled Company” for additional information.
Our ADSs are listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “LEGN.” On June 30, 2021, the last reported sale price of the ADSs on the Nasdaq Global Select Market was $41.05 per ADS.
Investing in our securities involves risks. You should carefully consider the risks described under “Risk Factors” on page 6 of this prospectus, in any accompanying prospectus supplement or in the documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus or any accompanying prospectus supplement before making a decision to invest in our securities.
This prospectus may not be used to offer or sell any securities unless accompanied by a prospectus supplement.
Neither the United States 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 July 1, 2021.
Table of Contents
Page | ||||
1 | ||||
2 | ||||
4 | ||||
6 | ||||
7 | ||||
8 | ||||
18 | ||||
34 | ||||
41 | ||||
42 | ||||
43 | ||||
44 | ||||
47 | ||||
48 | ||||
49 | ||||
50 |
You should rely only on the information contained or incorporated by reference into this prospectus, in the applicable prospectus supplement or in any free writing prospectus filed by us with the SEC. We have not authorized any other person to provide you with different information. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. You should not assume that the information contained or incorporated by reference into this prospectus and any prospectus supplement or in any free writing prospectus is accurate as of any date other than the respective dates thereof. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since those dates.
i
Table of Contents
This prospectus is part of a registration statement that we filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, using a “shelf” registration process. Under this shelf registration process, using this prospectus, together with a prospectus supplement, we or selling security holders may sell any of our securities described in this prospectus from time to time in one or more offerings. This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities we or any selling security holder may offer. Each time we or any selling security holder use this prospectus to offer securities, we will provide one or more prospectus supplements that will contain specific information about the offering and the terms of those securities. We may also add, update or change other information contained in this prospectus by means of a prospectus supplement or by incorporating by reference information we file with the SEC. The registration statement on file with the SEC includes exhibits that provide more details on the matters discussed in this prospectus. If there is any inconsistency between the information in this prospectus and any related prospectus supplement, you should rely on the information in the applicable prospectus supplement. Before you invest in any securities offered by this prospectus, you should read this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplements and the related exhibits to the registration statement filed with the SEC, together with the additional information described under the headings “Where You Can Find More Information” and “Incorporation of Documents by Reference.” You should assume that the information appearing in this prospectus or the applicable supplement to this prospectus is accurate as of its respective date, and that any information incorporated by reference is accurate only as of the date of the document incorporated by reference, unless we indicate otherwise. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since those dates.
In this prospectus, unless otherwise indicated or unless the context otherwise requires,
• | “ADSs” are to the American depositary shares, each of which represents two of our ordinary shares; |
• | “ADRs” are to the American depositary receipts that evidence the ADSs; |
• | “China” or “PRC” refers to the People’s Republic of China, excluding, for the purpose of this prospectus only, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Macau Special Administrative Region and Taiwan; “Greater China” does not exclude Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Macau Special Administrative Region and Taiwan; |
• | “ordinary shares” are to ordinary shares of our company, par value $0.0001 per share; |
• | “Renminbi” or “RMB” refers to the legal currency of the PRC; |
• | “Series A Preference Shares” are to the Series A preference shares, par value $0.0001 per share; and |
• | “US$,” “U.S. dollars,” “$,” or “dollars” are to the legal currency of the United States. |
References in any prospectus supplement to “the accompanying prospectus” are to this prospectus and references to “the prospectus” are to this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement taken together.
We are not making an offer to sell the securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.
1
Table of Contents
This prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference contain forward-looking statements that reflect our current expectations and views of future events. These statements are made under the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You can identify these forward-looking statements by terminology such as “may,” “could,” “will,” “should,” “would,” “expect,” “plan,” “intend,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” “future,” “is/are likely to,” “project” or “continue” or other similar expressions. We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that we believe may affect our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. These forward-looking statements include statements relating to, among other things:
• | the ability of our clinical trials to demonstrate acceptable safety and efficacy of our product candidates, and other positive results; |
• | the timing, progress and results of preclinical studies and clinical trials for product candidates we may develop, including statements regarding the timing of initiation and completion of studies or trials and related preparatory work, the period during which the results of the trials will become available, and our research and development programs; |
• | the timing, scope and likelihood of regulatory filings and approvals, including final regulatory approval of our product candidates; |
• | our ability to achieve milestones under our collaboration with Janssen for cilta-cel; |
• | our ability to develop and advance our current product candidates and programs into, and successfully complete, clinical trials; |
• | our manufacturing, commercialization, and marketing capabilities and strategy; |
• | our plans relating to commercializing our product candidates, if approved, including the geographic areas of focus and sales strategy; |
• | the need to hire additional personnel and our ability to attract and retain such personnel; |
• | the size of the market opportunity for our product candidates, including our estimates of the number of patients who suffer from the diseases we are targeting; |
• | our expectations regarding the approval and use of our product candidates as first, second or subsequent lines of therapy or in combination with other drugs; |
• | our competitive position and the success of competing therapies that are or may become available; |
• | our estimates of the number of patients that we will enroll in our clinical trials; |
• | the beneficial characteristics, safety, efficacy and therapeutic effects of our product candidates; |
• | our ability to obtain and maintain regulatory approval of our product candidates; |
• | our plans relating to the further development of our product candidates, including additional indications we may pursue; |
• | our intellectual property position, including the scope of protection we are able to establish and maintain for intellectual property rights covering product candidates we may develop, including the extensions of existing patent terms where available, the validity of intellectual property rights held by third parties, and our ability not to infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate any third-party intellectual property rights; |
• | our continued reliance on third parties to conduct additional clinical trials of our product candidates, and for the manufacture of our product candidates for preclinical studies and clinical trials; |
2
Table of Contents
• | our ability to obtain, and negotiate favorable terms of, any collaboration, licensing or other arrangements that may be necessary or desirable to develop, manufacture or commercialize our product candidates; |
• | the pricing and reimbursement of our product candidates we may develop, if approved; |
• | the rate and degree of market acceptance and clinical utility of our product candidates we may develop; |
• | our estimates regarding expenses, future revenue, capital requirements and needs for additional financing; |
• | our financial performance; |
• | the period over which we estimate our existing cash and cash equivalents will be sufficient to fund our future operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements; |
• | the impact of laws and regulations; |
• | our expectations regarding the period during which we will qualify as an emerging growth company under the JOBS Act; and |
• | our anticipated use of our existing resources. |
The forward-looking statements included in this prospectus, in the documents incorporated by reference herein and in any prospectus supplement are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions about our company which are, in some cases, beyond our control and which could materially affect our results. Our actual results of operations may differ materially from the forward-looking statements as a result of the risk factors disclosed in this prospectus, in the documents incorporated by reference herein or in any accompanying prospectus supplement.
We would like to caution you not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, and you should read these statements in conjunction with the risk factors disclosed herein, in the documents incorporated by reference herein or in any accompanying prospectus supplement for a more complete discussion of the risks of an investment in our securities. We operate in a rapidly evolving environment. New risks emerge from time to time and it is impossible for our management to predict all risk factors, nor can we assess the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ from those contained in any forward-looking statement. We do not undertake any obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements except as required under applicable law.
3
Table of Contents
Company Overview
We are a global, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery and development of novel cell therapies for oncology and other indications. Our team of over 900 employees in the United States, China and Europe, our differentiated technology, global development and manufacturing strategy and expertise provide us with the ability to generate, test and manufacture next-generation cell therapies targeting indications with high unmet needs.
Implications of Being an Emerging Growth Company
As a company with less than $1.07 billion in revenue for the last fiscal year, we qualify as an “emerging growth company” pursuant to the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, or the JOBS Act. An emerging growth company may take advantage of specified reduced reporting and other requirements that are otherwise applicable generally to public companies. These provisions include exemption from the auditor attestation requirement under Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or Section 404, related to the assessment of the effectiveness of the emerging growth company’s internal control over financial reporting. We have elected to take advantage of such exemptions.
We will remain an emerging growth company until the earliest of (a) the last day of our fiscal year during which we have total annual gross revenues of at least $1.07 billion; (b) December 31, 2025; (c) the date on which we have, during the previous three-year period, issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt; or (d) the date on which we are deemed to be a “large accelerated filer” under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, which would occur if the market value of our ADSs that are held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the last business day of our most recently completed second fiscal quarter. Once we cease to be an emerging growth company, we will not be entitled to the exemptions provided in the JOBS Act discussed above.
Implications of Being a Foreign Private Issuer and a Controlled Company
We currently report under the Exchange Act as a non-U.S. company with foreign private issuer status. Even after we no longer qualify as an emerging growth company, as long as we qualify as a foreign private issuer under the Exchange Act we will be exempt from certain provisions of the Exchange Act that are applicable to U.S. domestic public companies, including:
• | the sections of the Exchange Act regulating the solicitation of proxies, consents or authorizations in respect of a security registered under the Exchange Act; |
• | the sections of the Exchange Act requiring insiders to file public reports of their share ownership and trading activities and liability for insiders who profit from trades made in a short period of time; and |
• | the rules under the Exchange Act requiring the filing with the SEC of quarterly reports on Form 10-Q containing unaudited financial and other specified information, or current reports on Form 8-K, upon the occurrence of specified significant events. |
Both foreign private issuers and emerging growth companies are also exempt from certain more stringent executive compensation disclosure rules. Thus, even if we no longer qualify as an emerging growth company, but remain a foreign private issuer, we will continue to be exempt from the more stringent compensation disclosures required of companies that are neither an emerging growth company nor a foreign private issuer.
We are a “controlled company” as defined under the Nasdaq Stock Market Rules because our majority shareholder, Genscript, beneficially owns 58.77% of our ordinary shares representing 58.77% of the voting power of our total issued and outstanding shares. Under the Nasdaq Stock Market Rules, a “controlled company”
4
Table of Contents
may elect not to comply with certain corporate governance requirements, including the Nasdaq corporate governance rules requiring a board of directors to have:
• | a majority of independent directors; |
• | an independent compensation committee; and |
• | an independent nominations/corporate governance committees. |
We have utilized and plan to continue utilizing the “controlled company” exemptions with respect to our corporate governance practice.
Corporate Information
We are an exempted company incorporated in the Cayman Islands with limited liability. We commenced our operations in China in November 2014 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Genscript. In May 2015, we incorporated Legend Biotech Corporation under the laws of the Cayman Islands, which became our ultimate holding company through a series of transactions.
Our principal executive offices are located at 2101 Cottontail Lane, Somerset, New Jersey 08873. Our telephone number at this address is (732) 317-5050. Our registered office in the Cayman Islands is located at 4th Floor, Harbour Place, 103 South Church Street, P.O. Box 10240, Grand Cayman KY1-1002, Cayman Islands. Investors should submit any inquiries to the address and telephone number of our principal executive offices set forth above.
Our main website is www.legendbiotech.com. The information contained on this website is not a part of this prospectus.
“Legend Biotech,” the Legend logo and other trademarks or service marks of Legend Biotech Corporation appearing in this prospectus are the property of Legend Biotech Corporation. Trade names, trademarks and service marks of other companies appearing in this prospectus are the property of their respective holders.
5
Table of Contents
Investing in our securities involves risk. Before you decide to buy our securities, you should carefully consider the risks described in our most recent annual report on Form 20-F, which is incorporated herein by reference, as well as the risks that are described in the applicable prospectus supplement and in other documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement. If any of these risks actually occurs, our business, financial condition and results of operations could suffer, and you may lose all or part of your investment.
Please see “Where You Can Find More Information” and “Incorporation of Documents by Reference” for information on where you can find the documents we have filed with or furnished to the SEC and which are incorporated into this prospectus by reference.
6
Table of Contents
Unless we indicate otherwise in a prospectus supplement, we plan to use the net proceeds from the sale of the securities for general corporate purposes. We will not receive proceeds from sales of securities by persons other than us except as may otherwise be stated in any applicable prospectus supplement.
7
Table of Contents
We are a Cayman Islands exempted company incorporated with limited liability and our affairs are governed by our memorandum and articles of association, the Companies Act (as amended) of the Cayman Islands, which we refer to as the Companies Act below and the common law by the Cayman Islands.
As of the date of this prospectus, our authorized share capital is $200,000 divided into 2,000,000,000 shares, of which (i) 1,999,000,000 are designated as ordinary shares of a par value of $0.0001 each and (ii) 1,000,000 of such class or classes (however designated) of shares, par value $0.0001 each, as our board of directors may determine in accordance with our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. All of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares are fully paid.
As of May 31, 2021, we had 289,264,118 ordinary shares issued and outstanding.
Our board of directors may, without further action by our shareholders, fix the rights, preferences, privileges, and restrictions of up to an aggregate of 1,000,000 other shares, including preference shares, in one or more classes or series and authorize their issuance. These rights, preferences, and privileges could include dividend rights, conversion rights, voting rights, terms of redemption, liquidation preferences, sinking fund terms, and the number of shares constituting any series or the designation of such series, any or all of which may be greater than the rights of our ordinary shares. The issuance of our other shares, including potentially preference shares, could adversely affect the voting power of holders of ADSs and the likelihood that such holders will receive dividend payments and payments upon liquidation. In addition, the issuance of other shares, including preference shares, could have the effect of delaying, deferring, or preventing a change of control or other corporate action. We have no present plan to issue any preference shares.
Our Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association
The following are summaries of material provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, and of the Companies Act, insofar as they relate to the material terms of our ordinary shares.
Objects of Our Company. Under our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, the objects of our company are unrestricted and we have the full power and authority to carry out any object not prohibited by the law of the Cayman Islands.
Ordinary Shares. Our ordinary shares are issued in registered form and are issued when registered in our register of shareholders. We may not issue shares to bearer. Our shareholders who are nonresidents of the Cayman Islands may freely hold and vote their shares.
Dividends. The holders of our ordinary shares are entitled to such dividends as may be declared by our board of directors. In addition, our shareholders may declare dividends by ordinary resolution, but no dividend shall exceed the amount recommended by our directors. Our amended memorandum and restated articles of association provide that the directors may, before recommending or declaring any dividend, set aside out of the funds legally available for distribution such sums as they think proper as a reserve or reserves which shall, in the absolute discretion of the directors, be applicable for meeting contingencies or for equalizing dividends or for any other purpose to which those funds may be properly applied. Under the laws of the Cayman Islands, our company may pay a dividend out of either profit or the credit standing in our company’s share premium account, provided that in no circumstances may a dividend be paid if this would result in our company being unable to pay its debts as they fall due in the ordinary course of business immediately following the date on which the distribution or dividend is paid.
Voting Rights. Holders of our ordinary shares shall be entitled to one vote per ordinary share. Voting at any shareholders’ meeting is by show of hands unless a poll is demanded (before or on the declaration of the result of
8
Table of Contents
the show of hands). A poll may be demanded by the chairman of such meeting or any one or more shareholders who together hold not less than 10% of the votes attaching to the total ordinary shares which are present in person or by proxy at the meeting.
An ordinary resolution to be passed at a meeting by the shareholders requires the affirmative vote of a simple majority of the votes attaching to the ordinary shares cast at a meeting, while a special resolution requires the affirmative vote of no less than two-thirds of the votes cast attaching to the outstanding ordinary shares at a meeting. A special resolution will be required for important matters such as a change of name or making changes to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. Holders of the ordinary shares may, among other things, divide or combine their shares by ordinary resolution.
General Meetings of Shareholders. As a Cayman Islands exempted company, we are not obliged by the Companies Act to call shareholders’ annual general meetings. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that we may (but are not obliged to) in each year hold a general meeting as our annual general meeting in which case we shall specify the meeting as such in the notices calling it, and the annual general meeting shall be held at such time and place as may be determined by our directors.
Shareholders’ general meetings may be convened by a majority of our board of directors. Advance notice of at least ten calendar days is required for the convening of our annual general shareholders’ meeting (if any) and any other general meeting of our shareholders. A quorum required for any general meeting of shareholders consists of at least one shareholder present or by proxy, representing not less than one-third of all votes attaching to all of our shares in issue and entitled to vote.
The Companies Act provides shareholders with only limited rights to requisition a general meeting, and does not provide shareholders with any right to put any proposal before a general meeting. However, these rights may be provided in a company’s articles of association. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that upon the requisition of shareholders representing in aggregate not less than one-third of the votes attaching to the issued and outstanding shares of our company entitled to vote at general meetings, our board will convene an extraordinary general meeting and put the resolutions so requisitioned to a vote at such meeting. Shareholders seeking to bring business before the annual general meeting or to nominate candidates for election to our board of directors at the annual general meeting are required to deliver notice not later than the 90th day nor earlier than the 120th day prior to the scheduled date of the annual general meeting.
Transfer of Ordinary Shares. Subject to the restrictions set out below, any of our shareholders may transfer all or any of his or her ordinary shares by an instrument of transfer in the usual or common form or any other form approved by our board of directors.
Our board of directors may, in its absolute discretion, decline to register any transfer of any ordinary share which is not fully paid up or on which we have a lien. Our board of directors may also decline to register any transfer of any ordinary share unless:
• | the instrument of transfer is lodged with us, accompanied by the certificate for the ordinary shares to which it relates and such other evidence as our board of directors may reasonably require to show the right of the transferor to make the transfer; |
• | the instrument of transfer is in respect of only one class of ordinary shares; |
• | the instrument of transfer is properly stamped, if required; |
• | in the case of a transfer to joint holders, the number of joint holders to whom the ordinary share is to be transferred does not exceed four; and |
• | a fee of such maximum sum as The Nasdaq Global Select Market may determine to be payable or such lesser sum as our directors may from time to time require is paid to us in respect thereof. |
9
Table of Contents
If our directors refuse to register a transfer they shall, within three months after the date on which the instrument of transfer was lodged, send to each of the transferor and the transferee notice of such refusal.
The registration of transfers may, after compliance with any notice required of The Nasdaq Select Global Market, be suspended and the register closed at such times and for such periods as our board of directors may from time to time determine, provided, however, that the registration of transfers shall not be suspended nor the register closed for more than 30 days in any year.
Liquidation. On the winding up of our company, if the assets available for distribution amongst our shareholders shall be more than sufficient to repay the whole of the share capital at the commencement of the winding up, the surplus shall be distributed amongst our shareholders in proportion to the par value of the shares held by them at the commencement of the winding up, subject to a deduction from those shares in respect of which there are monies due, of all monies payable to our company for unpaid calls or otherwise. If our assets available for distribution are insufficient to repay the whole of the share capital, the assets will be distributed so that the losses are borne by our shareholders in proportion to the par value of the shares held by them.
Calls on Shares and Forfeiture of Shares. Our board of directors may from time to time make calls upon shareholders for any amounts unpaid on their shares in a notice served to such shareholders at least 14 days prior to the specified time and place of payment. The shares that have been called upon and remain unpaid are subject to forfeiture.
Redemption, Repurchase and Surrender of Shares. We may issue shares on terms that such shares are subject to redemption, at our option or at the option of the holders of these shares, on such terms and in such manner as may be determined by our board of directors. We may also repurchase any of our shares on such terms and in such manner as have been approved by our board of directors or by an ordinary resolution of our shareholders. Under the Companies Act, the redemption or repurchase of any share may be paid out of our profits or out of the proceeds of a new issue of shares made for the purpose of such redemption or repurchase, or out of capital (including share premium account and capital redemption reserve) if our company can, immediately following such payment, pay its debts as they fall due in the ordinary course of business. In addition, under the Companies Act no such share may be redeemed or repurchased (a) unless it is fully paid up, (b) if such redemption or repurchase would result in there being no shares outstanding or (c) if the company has commenced liquidation. In addition, our company may accept the surrender of any fully paid share for no consideration.
Variations of Rights of Shares. If at any time our share capital is divided into different classes or series of shares, the rights attached to any class or series of shares (unless otherwise provided by the terms of issue of the shares of that class or series), whether or not our company is being wound-up, may be varied with the consent in writing of the holders of two-thirds of the issued shares of that class or series or with the sanction of a special resolution passed at a separate meeting of the holders of the shares of the class or series. The rights conferred upon the holders of the shares of any class issued shall not, unless otherwise expressly provided by the terms of issue of the shares of that class, be deemed to be varied by the creation or issue of further shares ranking pari passu with such existing class of shares.
Issuance of Additional Shares. Our amended and restated memorandum of association authorizes our board of directors to issue additional ordinary shares from time to time as our board of directors shall determine, to the extent of available authorized but unissued shares.
Our amended and restated memorandum of association also authorizes our board of directors to establish from time to time one or more series of preference shares and to determine, with respect to any series of preference shares, the terms and rights of that series, including:
• | the designation of the series; |
• | the number of shares of the series; |
10
Table of Contents
• | the dividend rights, dividend rates, conversion rights, voting rights; |
• | the rights and terms of redemption and liquidation preferences; and |
• | any other powers, preferences and relative, participating, optional and other special rights. |
Our board of directors may issue preference shares without action by our shareholders to the extent authorized but unissued. Issuance of these shares may dilute the voting power of holders of ordinary shares.
Inspection of Books and Records. Holders of our ordinary shares will have no general right under Cayman Islands law to inspect or obtain copies of our corporate records (except for the memorandum and articles of association of our company, any special resolutions passed by our company and the register of mortgages and charges of our company). However, we will provide our shareholders with annual audited financial statements. See “Where You Can Find Additional Information.”
Anti-Takeover Provisions. Some provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association may discourage, delay or prevent a change of control of our company or management that shareholders may consider favorable, including provisions that:
• | authorize our board of directors to issue preference shares in one or more series and to designate the price, rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions of such preference shares without any further vote or action by our shareholders; and |
• | limit the ability of shareholders to requisition and convene general meetings of shareholders. |
However, under Cayman Islands law, our directors may only exercise the rights and powers granted to them under our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association for a proper purpose and for what they believe in good faith to be in the best interests of our company.
Exempted Company. We are an exempted company with limited liability under the Companies Act. The Companies Act distinguishes between ordinary resident companies and exempted companies. Any company that is registered in the Cayman Islands but conducts business mainly outside of the Cayman Islands may apply to be registered as an exempted company. The requirements for an exempted company are essentially the same as for an ordinary company except that an exempted company:
• | does not have to file an annual return of its shareholders with the Registrar of Companies; |
• | is not required to open its register of members for inspection; |
• | does not have to hold an annual general meeting; |
• | may issue negotiable or bearer shares or shares with no par value; |
• | may obtain an undertaking against the imposition of any future taxation (such undertakings are usually given for 20 years in the first instance); |
• | may register by way of continuation in another jurisdiction and be deregistered in the Cayman Islands; |
• | may register as a limited duration company; and |
• | may register as a segregated portfolio company. |
“Limited liability” means that the liability of each shareholder is limited to the amount unpaid by the shareholder on the shares of the company (except in exceptional circumstances, such as involving fraud, the establishment of an agency relationship or an illegal or improper purpose or other circumstances in which a court may be prepared to pierce or lift the corporate veil).
11
Table of Contents
Differences in Corporate Law
The Companies Act is derived, to a large extent, from the older Companies Acts of England but does not follow recent English statutory enactments and accordingly there are significant differences between the Companies Act and the current Companies Act of England. In addition, the Companies Act differs from laws applicable to U.S. corporations and their shareholders. Set forth below is a summary of certain significant differences between the provisions of the Companies Act applicable to us and the laws applicable to companies incorporated in the United States and their shareholders.
Mergers and Similar Arrangements. The Companies Act permits mergers and consolidations between Cayman Islands companies and between Cayman Islands companies and non-Cayman Islands companies. For these purposes, (i) “merger” means the merging of two or more constituent companies and the vesting of their undertaking, property and liabilities in one of such companies as the surviving company, and (ii) a “consolidation” means the combination of two or more constituent companies into a consolidated company and the vesting of the undertaking, property and liabilities of such companies to the consolidated company. In order to effect such a merger or consolidation, the directors of each constituent company must approve a written plan of merger or consolidation, which must then be authorized by (a) a special resolution of the shareholders of each constituent company, and (b) such other authorization, if any, as may be specified in such constituent company’s articles of association. The written plan of merger or consolidation must be filed with the Registrar of Companies of the Cayman Islands together with a declaration as to the solvency of the consolidated or surviving company, a list of the assets and liabilities of each constituent company and an undertaking that a copy of the certificate of merger or consolidation will be given to the members and creditors of each constituent company and that notification of the merger or consolidation will be published in the Cayman Islands Gazette. Court approval is not required for a merger or consolidation which is effected in compliance with these statutory procedures.
A merger between a Cayman parent company and its Cayman subsidiary or subsidiaries does not require authorization by a resolution of shareholders of that Cayman subsidiary if a copy of the plan of merger is given to every member of that Cayman subsidiary to be merged unless that member agrees otherwise. For this purpose a company is a “parent” of a subsidiary if it holds issued shares that together represent at least ninety percent (90%) of the votes at a general meeting of the subsidiary.
The consent of each holder of a fixed or floating security interest over a constituent company is required unless this requirement is waived by a court in the Cayman Islands.
Save in certain limited circumstances, a shareholder of a Cayman constituent company who dissents from the merger or consolidation is entitled to payment of the fair value of his shares (which, if not agreed between the parties, will be determined by the Cayman Islands court) upon dissenting to the merger or consolidation, provide the dissenting shareholder complies strictly with the procedures set out in the Companies Act. The exercise of dissenter rights will preclude the exercise by the dissenting shareholder of any other rights to which he or she might otherwise be entitled by virtue of holding shares, save for the right to seek relief on the grounds that the merger or consolidation is void or unlawful.
Separate from the statutory provisions relating to mergers and consolidations, the Companies Act also contains statutory provisions that facilitate the reconstruction and amalgamation of companies by way of schemes of arrangement, provided that the arrangement is approved by a majority in number of each class of shareholders and creditors with whom the arrangement is to be made, and who must in addition represent three-fourths in value of each such class of shareholders or creditors, as the case may be, that are present and voting either in person or by proxy at a meeting, or meetings, convened for that purpose. The convening of the meetings and subsequently the arrangement must be sanctioned by the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands. While a dissenting shareholder has the right to express to the court the view that the transaction ought not to be approved, the court can be expected to approve the arrangement if it determines that:
• | the statutory provisions as to the required majority vote have been met; |
12
Table of Contents
• | the shareholders have been fairly represented at the meeting in question and the statutory majority are acting bona fide without coercion of the minority to promote interests adverse to those of the class; |
• | the arrangement is such that may be reasonably approved by an intelligent and honest man of that class acting in respect of his interest; and |
• | the arrangement is not one that would more properly be sanctioned under some other provision of the Companies Act. |
The Companies Act also contains a statutory power of compulsory acquisition which may facilitate the “squeeze out” of dissentient minority shareholder upon a tender offer. When a tender offer is made and accepted by holders of 90.0% of the shares affected within four months, the offeror may, within a two-month period commencing on the expiration of such four month period, require the holders of the remaining shares to transfer such shares to the offeror on the terms of the offer. An objection can be made to the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands but this is unlikely to succeed in the case of an offer which has been so approved unless there is evidence of fraud, bad faith or collusion.
If an arrangement and reconstruction by way of scheme of arrangement is thus approved and sanctioned, or if a tender offer is made and accepted, a dissenting shareholder would have no rights comparable to appraisal rights, which would otherwise ordinarily be available to dissenting shareholders of Delaware corporations, providing rights to receive payment in cash for the judicially determined value of the shares.
Shareholders’ Suits. In principle, we will normally be the proper plaintiff to sue for a wrong done to us as a company, and as a general rule a derivative action may not be brought by a minority shareholder. However, based on English authorities, which would in all likelihood be of persuasive authority in the Cayman Islands, the Cayman Islands court can be expected to follow and apply the common law principles (namely the rule in Foss v. Harbottle and the exceptions thereto) so that a non-controlling shareholder may be permitted to commence a class action against or derivative actions in the name of the company to challenge actions where:
• | a company acts or proposes to act illegally or ultra vires; |
• | the act complained of, although not ultra vires, could only be effected duly if authorized by more than a simple majority vote that has not been obtained; and |
• | those who control the company are perpetrating a “fraud on the minority.” |
Indemnification of Directors and Executive Officers and Limitation of Liability. Cayman Islands law does not limit the extent to which a company’s memorandum and articles of association may provide for indemnification of officers and directors, except to the extent any such provision may be held by the Cayman Islands courts to be contrary to public policy, such as to provide indemnification against civil fraud or the consequences of committing a crime. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that we shall indemnify our officers and directors against all actions, proceedings, costs, charges, expenses, losses, damages or liabilities incurred or sustained by such directors or officer, other than by reason of such person’s dishonesty, willful default or fraud, in or about the conduct of our company’s business or affairs (including as a result of any mistake of judgment) or in the execution or discharge of his duties, powers, authorities or discretions, including without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, any costs, expenses, losses or liabilities incurred by such director or officer in defending (whether successfully or otherwise) any civil proceedings concerning our company or its affairs in any court whether in the Cayman Islands or elsewhere. This standard of conduct is generally the same as permitted under the Delaware General Corporation Law for a Delaware corporation.
In addition, we have entered into indemnification agreements with our directors and executive officers that provide such persons with additional indemnification beyond that provided in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association.
13
Table of Contents
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to our directors, officers or persons controlling us under the foregoing provisions, we have been informed that in the opinion of the SEC, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.
Directors’ Fiduciary Duties. Under Delaware corporate law, a director of a Delaware corporation has a fiduciary duty to the corporation and its shareholders. This duty has two components: the duty of care and the duty of loyalty. The duty of care requires that a director act in good faith, with the care that an ordinarily prudent person would exercise under similar circumstances. Under this duty, a director must inform himself of, and disclose to shareholders, all material information reasonably available regarding a significant transaction. The duty of loyalty requires that a director acts in a manner he reasonably believes to be in the best interests of the corporation. He must not use his corporate position for personal gain or advantage. This duty prohibits self-dealing by a director and mandates that the best interest of the corporation and its shareholders take precedence over any interest possessed by a director, officer or controlling shareholder and not shared by the shareholders generally. In general, actions of a director are presumed to have been made on an informed basis, in good faith and in the honest belief that the action taken was in the best interests of the corporation. However, this presumption may be rebutted by evidence of a breach of one of the fiduciary duties. Should such evidence be presented concerning a transaction by a director, the director must prove the procedural fairness of the transaction, and that the transaction was of fair value to the corporation.
As a matter of Cayman Islands law, a director of a Cayman Islands company is in the position of a fiduciary with respect to the company and therefore it is considered that he owes the following duties to the company—a duty to act bona fide in the best interests of the company, a duty not to make a profit based on his position as director (unless the company permits him to do so), a duty not to put himself in a position where the interests of the company conflict with his personal interest or his duty to a third party, and a duty to exercise powers for the purpose for which such powers were intended. A director of a Cayman Islands company owes to the company a duty to act with skill and care. It was previously considered that a director need not exhibit in the performance of his duties a greater degree of skill than may reasonably be expected from a person of his knowledge and experience. However, English and Commonwealth courts have moved towards an objective standard with regard to the required skill and care and these authorities are likely to be followed in the Cayman Islands.
Shareholder Action by Written Resolution. Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, a corporation may eliminate the right of shareholders to act by written consent by amendment to its certificate of incorporation. Our amended and restated articles of association provide that no action shall be taken by the shareholders except at an annual or extraordinary general meeting called in accordance with our amended and restated articles of association and no action shall be taken by the shareholders by written consent or electronic transmission.
Shareholder Proposals. Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, a shareholder has the right to put any proposal before the annual meeting of shareholders, provided it complies with the notice provisions in the governing documents. A special meeting may be called by the board of directors or any other person authorized to do so in the governing documents, but shareholders may be precluded from calling special meetings.
The Companies Act provides shareholders with only limited rights to requisition a general meeting. However, these rights may be provided in a company’s articles of association. Our amended and restated articles of association allow our shareholders holding in aggregate not less than one-third of all votes attaching to the issued and outstanding shares of our company entitled to vote at general meetings to requisition an extraordinary general meeting of our shareholders, in which case our board is obliged to convene an extraordinary general meeting and to put the resolutions so requisitioned to a vote at such meeting. As an exempted Cayman Islands company, we may but are not obliged by law to call shareholders’ annual general meetings. See “-Our Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association-General Meetings of Shareholders” for more information on the rights of our shareholders’ rights to put proposals before the annual general meeting.
14
Table of Contents
Cumulative Voting. Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, cumulative voting for elections of directors is not permitted unless the corporation’s certificate of incorporation specifically provides for it. Cumulative voting potentially facilitates the representation of minority shareholders on a board of directors since it permits the minority shareholder to cast all the votes to which the shareholder is entitled for a single director, which increases the shareholder’s voting power with respect to electing such director. There are no prohibitions in relation to cumulative voting under the laws of the Cayman Islands but our amended and restated articles of association do not provide for cumulative voting. As a result, our shareholders are not afforded any less protections or rights on this issue than shareholders of a Delaware corporation.
Removal of Directors. Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, a director of a corporation with a classified board may be removed only for cause with the approval of a majority of the outstanding shares entitled to vote, unless the certificate of incorporation provides otherwise. Under our amended and restated articles of association, directors may be removed only for cause by an ordinary resolution of our shareholders. In addition, a director’s office shall be vacated if the director (i) becomes bankrupt or makes any arrangement or composition with his creditors; (ii) is found to be or becomes of unsound mind or dies; (iii) resigns his office by notice in writing to the company; (iv) without special leave of absence from our board of directors, is absent from three consecutive meetings of the board and the board resolves that his office be vacated; or (v) is removed from office pursuant to any other provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association.
Transactions with Interested Shareholders. The Delaware General Corporation Law contains a business combination statute applicable to Delaware corporations whereby, unless the corporation has specifically elected not to be governed by such statute by amendment to its certificate of incorporation, it is prohibited from engaging in certain business combinations with an “interested shareholder” for three years following the date that such person becomes an interested shareholder. An interested shareholder generally is a person or a group who or which owns or owned 15% or more of the target’s outstanding voting share within the past three years. This has the effect of limiting the ability of a potential acquirer to make a two-tiered bid for the target in which all shareholders would not be treated equally. The statute does not apply if, among other things, prior to the date on which such shareholder becomes an interested shareholder, the board of directors approves either the business combination or the transaction which resulted in the person becoming an interested shareholder. This encourages any potential acquirer of a Delaware corporation to negotiate the terms of any acquisition transaction with the target’s board of directors.
Cayman Islands law has no comparable statute. As a result, we cannot avail ourselves of the types of protections afforded by the Delaware business combination statute. However, although Cayman Islands law does not regulate transactions between a company and its significant shareholders, it does provide that such transactions must be entered into bona fide in the best interests of the company and not with the effect of constituting a fraud on the minority shareholders.
Dissolution; Winding up. Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, unless the board of directors approves the proposal to dissolve, dissolution must be approved by shareholders holding 100% of the total voting power of the corporation. Only if the dissolution is initiated by the board of directors may it be approved by a simple majority of the corporation’s outstanding shares. Delaware law allows a Delaware corporation to include in its certificate of incorporation a supermajority voting requirement in connection with dissolutions initiated by the board.
Under Cayman Islands law, a company may be wound up by either an order of the courts of the Cayman Islands or by a special resolution of its members or, if the company is unable to pay its debts as they fall due, by an ordinary resolution of its members. The court has authority to order winding up in a number of specified circumstances including where it is, in the opinion of the court, just and equitable to do so. Under the Companies Act and our amended and restated articles of association, our company may be dissolved, liquidated or wound up by a special resolution of our shareholders.
15
Table of Contents
Variation of Rights of Shares. Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, a corporation may vary the rights of a class of shares with the approval of a majority of the outstanding shares of such class, unless the certificate of incorporation provides otherwise. Under Cayman Islands law and our amended and restated articles of association, if our share capital is divided into more than one class of shares, we may vary the rights attached to any class with the written consent of the holders of two-thirds of the issued shares of that class or with the sanction of a special resolution passed at a general meeting of the holders of the shares of that class.
Amendment of Governing Documents. Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, a corporation’s governing documents may be amended with the approval of a majority of the outstanding shares entitled to vote, unless the certificate of incorporation provides otherwise. Under the Companies Act and our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, our memorandum and articles of association may only be amended by a special resolution of our shareholders.
Rights of Non-resident or Foreign Shareholders. There are no limitations imposed by our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association on the rights of non-resident or foreign shareholders to hold or exercise voting rights on our shares. In addition, there are no provisions in our post-offering amended and restated memorandum and articles of association governing the ownership threshold above which shareholder ownership must be disclosed.
History of Securities Issuances
The following is a summary of the events that have changed the number of our share capital since January 1, 2018.
• | From January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2018, we issued options to purchase an aggregate of 7,990,000 ordinary shares to employees with an exercise price of $1.00. |
• | From January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2019, we issued options to purchase an aggregate of 20,000 ordinary shares to employees with an exercise price of $1.00, options to purchase an aggregate of 3,235,000 ordinary shares to employees with an exercise price of $1.50, and options to purchase an aggregate of 502,000 ordinary shares to employees with an exercise price of $11.50. |
• | On March 30, 2020, we issued 19,308,262 Series A Preference Shares to new investors for aggregate gross proceeds of $150.5 million. |
• | On April 16, 2020, we issued 1,283,367 Series A Preference Shares to a new investor for aggregate gross proceeds of $10.0 million. |
• | On June 9, 2020, we issued 1,043,478 ordinary shares to Genscript for aggregate gross proceeds of $12.0 million. |
• | On June 9, 2020, we issued 21,188,750 ADSs, representing 42,377,500 ordinary shares, in our initial public offering for aggregate gross proceeds of $487.3 million. |
• | From January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020, we issued options to purchase an aggregate of 90,000 ordinary shares to employees with an exercise price of $11.50, options to purchase an aggregate of 569,000 ordinary shares to employees with an exercise price of $16.335, options to purchase an aggregate of 20,000 ordinary shares to employees with an exercise price of $13.575, and restricted stock units representing 1,138,863 ordinary shares. |
• | On May 21, 2021, we issued 20,809,850 ordinary shares for aggregate gross proceeds of $300.0 million and a warrant exercisable for up to an aggregate of 10,000,000 ordinary shares to an institutional investor. |
Options
As of May 31, 2021, there were options to purchase 11,417,682 ordinary shares outstanding with a weighted average exercise price of $2.5340 per ordinary share. The options generally lapse after 10 years from date of grant.
16
Table of Contents
Restricted Stock Units
As of May 31, 2021, there were restricted stock units outstanding representing 2,827,515 ordinary shares upon vesting.
Registration Rights
Holders of the ordinary shares issued in connection with our initial public offering upon conversion of the then-outstanding convertible redeemable Series A preference shares, which we refer to as registrable securities, or their transferees are entitled to the following rights with respect to the registration of such shares for public resale under the Securities Act pursuant to an investors’ rights agreement by and among us and certain of our shareholders, until such shares can otherwise be sold without restriction under Rule 144, or until the rights otherwise terminate pursuant to the terms of the investors’ rights agreement. The registration of our ordinary shares as a result of the following rights being exercised would enable holders to trade these shares without restriction under the Securities Act when the applicable registration statement is declared effective.
If the holders of a majority of the registrable securities request in writing that we effect a registration with respect to at least 40% of such registrable securities then outstanding (or a lesser percent if the anticipated aggregate offering price, net of selling expenses, would exceed $30.0 million), we may be required to register their ordinary shares. We are obligated to effect at most two registrations in response to these demand registration rights.
If at any time after we become entitled under the Securities Act to register securities on a registration statement on Form F-3, 20% of the holders of the registrable securities then outstanding request in writing that we effect a registration with respect to registrable securities at an aggregate price to the public in the offering of at least $10.0 million, we will be required to file such registration statement within 45 days after the date of such request; provided, however, that we will not be required to effect such a registration if, within any twelve-month period, we have already effected two registrations on Form F-3 for the holders of registrable securities.
If the holders requesting registration intend to distribute their shares by means of an underwriting, the managing underwriter of such offering will have the right to limit the numbers of shares to be underwritten for reasons related to the marketing of the shares.
Ordinarily, other than selling expenses, we will be required to pay all expenses incurred by us related to any registration effected pursuant to the exercise of these registration rights. These expenses may include all registration, filing, and qualification fees; printers’ and accounting fees; fees and disbursements of our counsel; and reasonable fees and disbursements of a counsel for the selling securityholders up to $80,000.
The registration rights terminate upon the earliest of (i) the closing of a liquidation event, as defined in our second amended and restated articles of association, or, with respect to the registration rights of an individual holder, (ii) when the holder can sell all of such holder’s registrable securities in a three-month period without restriction under Rule 144 under the Securities Act or (iii) upon the fifth anniversary of the closing of our initial public offering.
Listing
Our ADSs are listed on The Nasdaq Global Select Market under the trading symbol “LEGN.”
17
Table of Contents
DESCRIPTION OF AMERICAN DEPOSITARY SHARES
American Depositary Receipts
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., or JPMorgan, as depositary, will issue the ADSs. Each ADS will represent an ownership interest in a designated number of shares which we will deposit with the custodian, as agent of the depositary, under the deposit agreement among ourselves, the depositary, yourself as an ADR holder and all other ADR holders, and all beneficial owners of an interest in the ADSs evidenced by ADRs from time to time.
The depositary’s office is located at 383 Madison Avenue, Floor 11, New York, NY 10179.
The ADS to share ratio is subject to amendment as provided in the form of ADR (which may give rise to fees contemplated by the form of ADR). In the future, each ADS will also represent any securities, cash or other property deposited with the depositary but which they have not distributed directly to you.
A beneficial owner is any person or entity having a beneficial ownership interest ADSs. A beneficial owner need not be the holder of the ADR evidencing such ADS. If a beneficial owner of ADSs is not an ADR holder, it must rely on the holder of the ADR(s) evidencing such ADSs in order to assert any rights or receive any benefits under the deposit agreement. A beneficial owner shall only be able to exercise any right or receive any benefit under the deposit agreement solely through the holder of the ADR(s) evidencing the ADSs owned by such beneficial owner. The arrangements between a beneficial owner of ADSs and the holder of the corresponding ADRs may affect the beneficial owner’s ability to exercise any rights it may have.
An ADR holder shall be deemed to have all requisite authority to act on behalf of any and all beneficial owners of the ADSs evidenced by the ADRs registered in such ADR holder’s name for all purposes under the deposit agreement and ADRs. The depositary’s only notification obligations under the deposit agreement and the ADRs is to registered ADR holders. Notice to an ADR holder shall be deemed, for all purposes of the deposit agreement and the ADRs, to constitute notice to any and all beneficial owners of the ADSs evidenced by such ADR holder’s ADRs.
Unless certificated ADRs are specifically requested, all ADSs will be issued on the books of our depositary in book-entry form and periodic statements will be mailed to you which reflect your ownership interest in such ADSs. In our description, references to American depositary receipts or ADRs shall include the statements you will receive which reflect your ownership of ADSs.
You may hold ADSs either directly or indirectly through your broker or other financial institution. If you hold ADSs directly, by having an ADS registered in your name on the books of the depositary, you are an ADR holder. This description assumes you hold your ADSs directly. If you hold the ADSs through your broker or financial institution nominee, you must rely on the procedures of such broker or financial institution to assert the rights of an ADR holder described in this section. You should consult with your broker or financial institution to find out what those procedures are.
As an ADR holder or beneficial owner, we will not treat you as a shareholder of ours and you will not have any shareholder rights. Cayman Island law governs shareholder rights. Because the depositary or its nominee will be the shareholder of record for the shares represented by all outstanding ADSs, shareholder rights rest with such record holder. Your rights are those of an ADR holder or of a beneficial owner. Such rights derive from the terms of the deposit agreement to be entered into among us, the depositary and all holders and beneficial owners from time to time of ADRs issued under the deposit agreement and, in the case of a beneficial owner, from the arrangements between the beneficial owner and the holder of the corresponding ADRs. The obligations of the depositary and its agents are also set out in the deposit agreement. Because the depositary or its nominee will actually be the registered owner of the shares, you must rely on it to exercise the rights of a shareholder on your behalf.
18
Table of Contents
The following is a summary of what we believe to be the material terms of the deposit agreement. Notwithstanding this, because it is a summary, it may not contain all the information that you may otherwise deem important. For more complete information, you should read the entire deposit agreement and the form of ADR which contains the terms of your ADSs. You can read a copy of the deposit agreement which is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. You may also obtain a copy of the deposit agreement at the SEC’s Public Reference Room which is located at 100 F Street, NE, Washington, DC 20549. You may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-732-0330. You may also find the registration statement and the attached deposit agreement on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.
Share Dividends and Other Distributions
How will I receive dividends and other distributions on the shares underlying my ADSs?
We may make various types of distributions with respect to our securities. The depositary has agreed that, to the extent practicable, it will pay to you the cash dividends or other distributions it or the custodian receives on shares or other deposited securities, after converting any cash received into U.S. dollars (if it determines such conversion may be made on a reasonable basis) and, in all cases, making any necessary deductions provided for in the deposit agreement. The depositary may utilize a division, branch or affiliate of JPMorgan to direct, manage and/or execute any public and/or private sale of securities under the deposit agreement. Such division, branch and/or affiliate may charge the depositary a fee in connection with such sales, which fee is considered an expense of the depositary. You will receive these distributions in proportion to the number of underlying securities that your ADSs represent.
Except as stated below, the depositary will deliver such distributions to ADR holders in proportion to their interests in the following manner:
• | Cash. The depositary will distribute any U.S. dollars available to it resulting from a cash dividend or other cash distribution or the net proceeds of sales of any other distribution or portion thereof (to the extent applicable), on an averaged or other practicable basis, subject to (i) appropriate adjustments for taxes withheld, (ii) such distribution being impermissible or impracticable with respect to certain registered ADR holders, and (iii) deduction of the depositary’s and/or its agents’ expenses in (1) converting any foreign currency to U.S. dollars to the extent that it determines that such conversion may be made on a reasonable basis, (2) transferring foreign currency or U.S. dollars to the United States by such means as the depositary may determine to the extent that it determines that such transfer may be made on a reasonable basis, (3) obtaining any approval or license of any governmental authority required for such conversion or transfer, which is obtainable at a reasonable cost and within a reasonable time and (4) making any sale by public or private means in any commercially reasonable manner. If exchange rates fluctuate during a time when the depositary cannot convert a foreign currency, you may lose some or all of the value of the distribution. |
• | Shares. In the case of a distribution in shares, the depositary will issue additional ADRs to evidence the number of ADSs representing such shares. Only whole ADSs will be issued. Any shares which would result in fractional ADSs will be sold and the net proceeds will be distributed in the same manner as cash to the ADR holders entitled thereto. |
• | Rights to receive additional shares. In the case of a distribution of rights to subscribe for additional shares or other rights, if we timely provide evidence satisfactory to the depositary that it may lawfully distribute such rights, the depositary will distribute warrants or other instruments in the discretion of the depositary representing such rights. However, if we do not timely furnish such evidence, the depositary may: |
(i) sell such rights if practicable and distribute the net proceeds in the same manner as cash to the ADR holders entitled thereto; or
19
Table of Contents
(ii) if it is not practicable to sell such rights by reason of the non-transferability of the rights, limited markets therefor, their short duration or otherwise, do nothing and allow such rights to lapse, in which case ADR holders will receive nothing and the rights may lapse.
• | Other Distributions. In the case of a distribution of securities or property other than those described above, the depositary may either (i) distribute such securities or property in any manner it deems equitable and practicable or (ii) to the extent the depositary deems distribution of such securities or property not to be equitable and practicable, sell such securities or property and distribute any net proceeds in the same way it distributes cash. |
If the depositary determines in its discretion that any distribution described above is not practicable with respect to any specific registered ADR holder, the depositary may choose any method of distribution that it deems practicable for such ADR holder, including the distribution of foreign currency, securities or property, or it may retain such items, without paying interest on or investing them, on behalf of the ADR holder as deposited securities, in which case the ADSs will also represent the retained items.
Any U.S. dollars will be distributed by checks drawn on a bank in the United States for whole dollars and cents. Fractional cents will be withheld without liability and dealt with by the depositary in accordance with its then current practices.
The depositary is not responsible if it fails to determine that any distribution or action is lawful or reasonably practicable.
There can be no assurance that the depositary will be able to convert any currency at a specified exchange rate or sell any property, rights, shares or other securities at a specified price, nor that any of such transactions can be completed within a specified time period. All purchases and sales of securities will be handled by the depositary in accordance with its then current policies, which are currently set forth in the “Depositary Receipt Sale and Purchase of Security” section of https://www.adr.com/Investors/FindOutAboutDRs, the location and contents of which the depositary shall be solely responsible for.
Deposit, Withdrawal and Cancellation
How does the depositary issue ADSs?
The depositary will issue ADSs if you or your broker deposit shares or evidence of rights to receive shares with the custodian and pay the fees and expenses owing to the depositary in connection with such issuance. In the case of the ADSs to be issued under this prospectus, we will arrange with the underwriters named herein to deposit such shares.
Shares deposited in the future with the custodian must be accompanied by certain delivery documentation and shall, at the time of such deposit, be registered in the name of JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as depositary for the benefit of holders of ADRs or in such other name as the depositary shall direct.
The custodian will hold all deposited shares (including those being deposited by or on our behalf in connection with the offering to which this prospectus relates) for the account and to the order of the depositary, in each case for the benefit of ADR holders. ADR holders and beneficial owners thus have no direct ownership interest in the shares and only have such rights as are contained in the deposit agreement. The custodian will also hold any additional securities, property and cash received on or in substitution for the deposited shares. The deposited shares and any such additional items are referred to as “deposited securities.”
Deposited securities are not intended to, and shall not, constitute proprietary assets of the depositary, the custodian or their nominees. Beneficial ownership in deposited securities is intended to be, and shall at all times during the term of the deposit agreement continue to be, vested in the beneficial owners of the ADSs representing
20
Table of Contents
such deposited securities. Notwithstanding anything else contained herein, in the deposit agreement, in the form of ADR and/or in any outstanding ADSs, the depositary, the custodian and their respective nominees are intended to be, and shall at all times during the term of the deposit agreement be, the record holder(s) only of the deposited securities represented by the ADSs for the benefit of the ADR holders. The depositary, on its own behalf and on behalf of the custodian and their respective nominees, disclaims any beneficial ownership interest in the deposited securities held on behalf of the ADR holders.
Upon each deposit of shares, receipt of related delivery documentation and compliance with the other provisions of the deposit agreement, including the payment of the fees and charges of the depositary and any taxes or other fees or charges owing, the depositary will issue an ADR or ADRs in the name or upon the order of the person entitled thereto evidencing the number of ADSs to which such person is entitled. All of the ADSs issued will, unless specifically requested to the contrary, be part of the depositary’s direct registration system, and a registered holder will receive periodic statements from the depositary which will show the number of ADSs registered in such holder’s name. An ADR holder can request that the ADSs not be held through the depositary’s direct registration system and that a certificated ADR be issued.
How do ADR holders cancel an ADS and obtain deposited securities?
When you turn in your ADR certificate at the depositary’s office, or when you provide proper instructions and documentation in the case of direct registration ADSs, the depositary will, upon payment of certain applicable fees, charges and taxes, deliver the underlying shares to you or upon your written order. Delivery of deposited securities in certificated form will be made at the custodian’s office. At your risk, expense and request, the depositary may deliver deposited securities at such other place as you may request.
The depositary may only restrict the withdrawal of deposited securities in connection with:
• | temporary delays caused by closing our transfer books or those of the depositary or the deposit of shares in connection with voting at a shareholders’ meeting, or the payment of dividends; |
• | the payment of fees, taxes and similar charges; or |
• | compliance with any U.S. or foreign laws or governmental regulations relating to the ADRs or to the withdrawal of deposited securities. |
This right of withdrawal may not be limited by any other provision of the deposit agreement.
Record Dates
The depositary may, after consultation with us if practicable, fix record dates (which, to the extent applicable, shall be as near as practicable to any corresponding record dates set by us) for the determination of the registered ADR holders who will be entitled (or obligated, as the case may be):
• | to receive any distribution on or in respect of deposited securities, |
• | to give instructions for the exercise of voting rights at a meeting of holders of shares, or |
• | to pay the fee assessed by the depositary for administration of the ADR program and for any expenses as provided for in the ADR, |
• | to receive any notice or to act in respect of other matters, |
all subject to the provisions of the deposit agreement.
21
Table of Contents
Voting Rights
How do I vote?
If you are an ADR holder and the depositary asks you to provide it with voting instructions, you may instruct the depositary how to exercise the voting rights for the shares which underlie your ADSs. As soon as practicable after receipt from us of notice of any meeting at which the holders of shares are entitled to vote, or of our solicitation of consents or proxies from holders of shares, the depositary shall fix the ADS record date in accordance with the provisions of the deposit agreement, provided that if the depositary receives a written request from us in a timely manner and at least 30 days prior to the date of such vote or meeting, the depositary shall, at our expense, distribute to the registered ADR holders a “voting notice” stating (i) final information particular to such vote and meeting and any solicitation materials, (ii) that each ADR holder on the record date set by the depositary will, subject to any applicable provisions of Cayman Islands law, be entitled to instruct the depositary as to the exercise of the voting rights, if any, pertaining to the deposited securities represented by the ADSs evidenced by such ADR holder’s ADRs and (iii) the manner in which such instructions may be given, or deemed to be given pursuant to the terms of the deposit agreement, including instructions for giving a discretionary proxy to a person designated by us. Each ADR holder shall be solely responsible for the forwarding of voting notices to the beneficial owners of ADSs registered in such ADR holder’s name. There is no guarantee that ADR holders and beneficial owners generally or any holder or beneficial owner in particular will receive the notice described above with sufficient time to enable such ADR holder or beneficial owner to return any voting instructions to the depositary in a timely manner.
Following actual receipt by the ADR department responsible for proxies and voting of ADR holders’ instructions (including, without limitation, instructions of any entity or entities acting on behalf of the nominee for DTC), the depositary shall, in the manner and on or before the time established by the depositary for such purpose, endeavor to vote or cause to be voted the deposited securities represented by the ADSs evidenced by such ADR holders’ ADRs in accordance with such instructions insofar as practicable and permitted under the provisions of or governing deposited securities.
To the extent that (A) we have provided the depositary with at least 35 days’ notice of the proposed meeting, (B) the voting notice will be received by all ADR holders and beneficial owners no less than 10 days prior to the date of the meeting and/or the cut-off date for the solicitation of consents, and (C) the depositary does not receive instructions on a particular agenda item from an ADR holder (including, without limitation, any entity or entities acting on behalf of the nominee for DTC) in a timely manner, such ADR holder shall be deemed, and in the deposit agreement the depositary is instructed to deem such ADR holder, to have instructed the depositary to give a discretionary proxy for such agenda item(s) to a person designated by us to vote the deposited securities represented by the ADSs for which actual instructions were not so given by all such ADR holders on such agenda item(s), provided that no such instruction shall be deemed given and no discretionary proxy shall be given unless (1) we inform the depositary in writing (and we agree to provide the depositary with such instruction promptly in writing) that (a) we wish such proxy to be given with respect to such agenda item(s), (b) there is no substantial opposition existing with respect to such agenda item(s) and (c) such agenda item(s), if approved, would not materially or adversely affect the rights of holders of shares, and (2) the depositary has obtained an opinion of counsel, in form and substance satisfactory to the depositary, confirming that (i) the granting of such discretionary proxy does not subject the depositary to any reporting obligations in the Cayman Islands, (ii) the granting of such proxy will not result in a violation of the laws, rules, regulations or permits of the Cayman Islands, (iii) the voting arrangement and deemed instruction as contemplated herein will be given effect under the laws, rules and regulations of the Cayman Islands, and (iv) the granting of such discretionary proxy will not under any circumstances result in the shares represented by the ADSs being treated as assets of the depositary under the laws, rules or regulations of the Cayman Islands.
The depositary may from time to time access information available to it to consider whether any of the circumstances described above exist, or request additional information from us in respect thereto. By taking any such action, the depositary shall not in any way be deemed or inferred to have been required, or have had any
22
Table of Contents
duty or responsibility (contractual or otherwise), to monitor or inquire whether any of the circumstances described above existed. In addition to the limitations provided for in the deposit agreement, ADR holders and beneficial owners are advised and agree that (a) the depositary will rely fully and exclusively on us to inform it of any of the circumstances set forth above, and (b) neither the depositary, the custodian nor any of their respective agents shall be obliged to inquire or investigate whether any of the circumstances described above exist and/or whether we complied with our obligation to timely inform the depositary of such circumstances. Neither the depositary, the custodian nor any of their respective agents shall incur any liability to ADR holders or beneficial owners (i) as a result of our failure to determine that any of the circumstances described above exist or our failure to timely notify the depositary of any such circumstances or (ii) if any agenda item which is approved at a meeting has, or is claimed to have, a material or adverse effect on the rights of holders of shares. Because there is no guarantee that ADR holders and beneficial owners will receive the notices described above with sufficient time to enable such ADR holders or beneficial owners to return any voting instructions to the depositary in a timely manner, ADR holders and beneficial owners may be deemed to have instructed the depositary to give a discretionary proxy to a person designated by us in such circumstances, and neither the depositary, the custodian nor any of their respective agents shall incur any liability to ADR holders or beneficial owners in such circumstances.
ADR holders are strongly encouraged to forward their voting instructions to the depositary as soon as possible. For instructions to be valid, the ADR department of the depositary that is responsible for proxies and voting must receive them in the manner and on or before the time specified, notwithstanding that such instructions may have been physically received by the depositary prior to such time. The depositary will not itself exercise any voting discretion in respect of deposited securities. The depositary and its agents will not be responsible for any failure to carry out any instructions to vote any of the deposited securities, for the manner in which any voting instructions are given, or deemed to be given pursuant to the terms of the deposit agreement, including instructions to give a discretionary proxy to a person designated by us, for the manner in which any vote is cast, including, without limitation, any vote cast by a person to whom the depositary is instructed to grant a discretionary proxy (or deemed to have been instructed pursuant to the terms of the deposit agreement), or for the effect of any such vote. Notwithstanding anything contained in the deposit agreement or any ADR, the depositary may, to the extent not prohibited by any law, regulation, or requirement of the stock exchange on which the ADSs are listed, in lieu of distribution of the materials provided to the depositary in connection with any meeting of or solicitation of consents or proxies from holders of deposited securities, distribute to the registered holders of ADRs a notice that provides such ADR holders with or otherwise publicizes to such ADR holders instructions on how to retrieve such materials or receive such materials upon request (i.e., by reference to a website containing the materials for retrieval or a contact for requesting copies of the materials).
We have advised the depositary that under Cayman Islands law and our constituent documents, each as in effect as of the date of the deposit agreement, voting at any meeting of shareholders is by show of hands unless a poll is (before or on the declaration of the results of the show of hands) demanded. In the event that voting on any resolution or matter is conducted on a show of hands basis in accordance with our constituent documents, the depositary will refrain from voting and the voting instructions received by the depositary from ADR holders shall lapse. The depositary will not demand a poll or join in demanding a poll, whether or not requested to do so by ADR holders or beneficial owners.
There is no guarantee that you will receive voting materials in time to instruct the depositary to vote and it is possible that you, or persons who hold their ADSs through brokers, dealers or other third parties, will not have the opportunity to exercise a right to vote.
Reports and Other Communications
Will ADR holders be able to view our reports?
The depositary will make available for inspection by ADR holders at the offices of the depositary and the custodian the deposit agreement, the provisions of or governing deposited securities, and any written
23
Table of Contents
communications from us which are both received by the custodian or its nominee as a holder of deposited securities and made generally available to the holders of deposited securities.
Additionally, if we make any written communications generally available to holders of our shares, and we furnish copies thereof (or English translations or summaries) to the depositary, it will distribute the same to registered ADR holders.
Fees and Expenses
What fees and expenses will I be responsible for paying?
The depositary may charge each person to whom ADSs are issued, including, without limitation, issuances against deposits of shares, issuances in respect of share distributions, rights and other distributions, issuances pursuant to a stock dividend or stock split declared by us or issuances pursuant to a merger, exchange of securities or any other transaction or event affecting the ADSs or deposited securities, and each person surrendering ADSs for withdrawal of deposited securities or whose ADRs are cancelled or reduced for any other reason, $5.00 for each 100 ADSs (or any portion thereof) issued, delivered, reduced, canceled or surrendered, or upon which a share distribution or elective distribution is made or offered, as the case may be. The depositary may sell (by public or private sale) sufficient securities and property received in respect of a share distribution, rights and/or other distribution prior to such deposit to pay such charge.
The following additional charges shall also be incurred by the ADR holders, the beneficial owners, by any party depositing or withdrawing shares or by any party surrendering ADSs and/or to whom ADSs are issued (including, without limitation, issuance pursuant to a stock dividend or stock split declared by us or an exchange of stock regarding the ADSs or the deposited securities or a distribution of ADSs), whichever is applicable:
• | a fee of U.S.$1.50 per ADR or ADRs for transfers of certificated or direct registration ADRs; |
• | a fee of U.S.$0.05 or less per ADS held for any cash distribution made, or for any elective cash/stock dividend offered, pursuant to the deposit agreement; |
• | an aggregate fee of U.S.$0.05 or less per ADS per calendar year (or portion thereof) for services performed by the depositary in administering the ADRs (which fee may be charged on a periodic basis during each calendar year and shall be assessed against holders of ADRs as of the record date or record dates set by the depositary during each calendar year and shall be payable in the manner described in the next succeeding provision); |
• | a fee for the reimbursement of such fees, charges and expenses as are incurred by the depositary and/or any of its agents (including, without limitation, the custodian and expenses incurred on behalf of ADR holders in connection with compliance with foreign exchange control regulations or any law or regulation relating to foreign investment) in connection with the servicing of the shares or other deposited securities, the sale of securities (including, without limitation, deposited securities), the delivery of deposited securities or otherwise in connection with the depositary’s or its custodian’s compliance with applicable law, rule or regulation (which fees and charges shall be assessed on a proportionate basis against ADR holders as of the record date or dates set by the depositary and shall be payable at the sole discretion of the depositary by billing such ADR holders or by deducting such charge from one or more cash dividends or other cash distributions); |
• | a fee for the distribution of securities (or the sale of securities in connection with a distribution), such fee being in an amount equal to the $0.05 per ADS issuance fee for the execution and delivery of ADSs which would have been charged as a result of the deposit of such securities (treating all such securities as if they were shares) but which securities or the net cash proceeds from the sale thereof are instead distributed by the depositary to those ADR holders entitled thereto; |
• | stock transfer or other taxes and other governmental charges; |
24
Table of Contents
• | cable, telex and facsimile transmission and delivery charges incurred at your request in connection with the deposit or delivery of shares, ADRs or deposited securities; |
• | transfer or registration fees for the registration of transfer of deposited securities on any applicable register in connection with the deposit or withdrawal of deposited securities; and |
• | fees of any division, branch or affiliate of the depositary utilized by the depositary to direct, manage and/or execute any public and/or private sale of securities under the deposit agreement. |
To facilitate the administration of various depositary receipt transactions, including disbursement of dividends or other cash distributions and other corporate actions, the depositary may engage the foreign exchange desk within JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., or the Bank, and/or its affiliates in order to enter into spot foreign exchange transactions to convert foreign currency into U.S. dollars. For certain currencies, foreign exchange transactions are entered into with the Bank or an affiliate, as the case may be, acting in a principal capacity. For other currencies, foreign exchange transactions are routed directly to and managed by an unaffiliated local custodian (or other third party local liquidity provider), and neither the Bank nor any of its affiliates is a party to such foreign exchange transactions.
The foreign exchange rate applied to an foreign exchange transaction will be either (a) a published benchmark rate, or (b) a rate determined by a third party local liquidity provider, in each case plus or minus a spread, as applicable. The depositary will disclose which foreign exchange rate and spread, if any, apply to such currency on the “Disclosure” page (or successor page) of www.adr.com. Such applicable foreign exchange rate and spread may (and neither the depositary, the Bank nor any of their affiliates is under any obligation to ensure that such rate does not) differ from rates and spreads at which comparable transactions are entered into with other customers or the range of foreign exchange rates and spreads at which the Bank or any of its affiliates enters into foreign exchange transactions in the relevant currency pair on the date of the foreign exchange transaction. Additionally, the timing of execution of an foreign exchange transaction varies according to local market dynamics, which may include regulatory requirements, market hours and liquidity in the foreign exchange market or other factors. Furthermore, the Bank and its affiliates may manage the associated risks of their position in the market in a manner they deem appropriate without regard to the impact of such activities on the depositary, us, holders or beneficial owners. The spread applied does not reflect any gains or losses that may be earned or incurred by the Bank and its affiliates as a result of risk management or other hedging related activity.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent we provide U.S. dollars to the depositary, neither the Bank nor any of its affiliates will execute a foreign exchange transaction as set forth herein. In such case, the depositary will distribute the U.S. dollars received from us.
Further details relating to the applicable foreign exchange rate, the applicable spread and the execution of foreign exchange transactions will be provided by the depositary on ADR.com. Each holder and beneficial owner by holding or owning an ADR or ADS or an interest therein, and we, each acknowledge and agree that the terms applicable to foreign exchange transactions disclosed from time to time on ADR.com will apply to any foreign exchange transaction executed pursuant to the deposit agreement.
We will pay all other charges and expenses of the depositary and any agent of the depositary (except the custodian) pursuant to agreements from time to time between us and the depositary.
The right of the depositary to receive payment of fees, charges and expenses survives the termination of the deposit agreement, and shall extend for those fees, charges and expenses incurred prior to the effectiveness of any resignation or removal of the depositary.
The fees and charges described above may be amended from time to time by agreement between us and the depositary.
25
Table of Contents
The depositary may make available to us a set amount or 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. The depositary collects its fees for issuance and cancellation of ADSs directly from investors depositing shares or surrendering ADSs for the purpose of withdrawal or from intermediaries acting for them. The depositary collects fees for making distributions to investors by deducting those fees from the amounts distributed or by selling a portion of distributable property to pay the fees. The depositary may collect its annual fee for depositary services by deduction from cash distributions, or by directly billing investors, or by charging the book-entry system accounts of participants acting for them. The depositary will generally set off the amounts owing from distributions made to holders of ADSs. If, however, no distribution exists and payment owing is not timely received by the depositary, the depositary may refuse to provide any further services to ADR holders that have not paid those fees and expenses owing until such fees and expenses have been paid. At the discretion of the depositary, all fees and charges owing under the deposit agreement are due in advance and/or when declared owing by the depositary.
Payment of Taxes
ADR holders or beneficial owners must pay any tax or other governmental charge payable by the custodian or the depositary on any ADS or ADR, deposited security or distribution. If any taxes or other governmental charges (including any penalties and/or interest) shall become payable by or on behalf of the custodian or the depositary with respect to any ADR, any deposited securities represented by the ADSs evidenced thereby or any distribution thereon, including, without limitation, any Chinese Enterprise Income Tax owing if the SAT Circular 82 issued by the SAT or any other circular, edict, order or ruling, as issued and as from time to time amended, is applied or otherwise, such tax or other governmental charge shall be paid by the ADR holder thereof to the depositary and by holding or owning, or having held or owned, an ADR or any ADSs evidenced thereby, the ADR holder and all beneficial owners thereof, and all prior ADR holders and beneficial owners thereof, jointly and severally, agree to indemnify, defend and save harmless each of the depositary and its agents in respect of such tax or other governmental charge. Notwithstanding the depositary’s right to seek payment from current and former beneficial owners, by holding or owning, or having held or owned, an ADR, the ADR holder thereof (and prior ADR holder thereof) acknowledges and agrees that the depositary has no obligation to seek payment of amounts owing from any current or former beneficial owner. If an ADR holder owes any tax or other governmental charge, the depositary may (i) deduct the amount thereof from any cash distributions, or (ii) sell deposited securities (by public or private sale) and deduct the amount owing from the net proceeds of such sale. In either case the ADR holder remains liable for any shortfall. If any tax or governmental charge is unpaid, the depositary may also refuse to effect any registration, registration of transfer, split-up or combination of deposited securities or withdrawal of deposited securities until such payment is made. If any tax or governmental charge is required to be withheld on any cash distribution, the depositary may deduct the amount required to be withheld from any cash distribution or, in the case of a non-cash distribution, sell the distributed property or securities (by public or private sale) in such amounts and in such manner as the depositary deems necessary and practicable to pay such taxes and distribute any remaining net proceeds or the balance of any such property after deduction of such taxes to the ADR holders entitled thereto.
As an ADR holder or beneficial owner, you will be agreeing to indemnify us, the depositary, its custodian and any of our or their respective officers, directors, employees, agents and affiliates against, and hold each of them harmless from, any claims by any governmental authority with respect to taxes, additions to tax, penalties or interest arising out of any refund of taxes, reduced rate of withholding at source or other tax benefit obtained.
Reclassifications, Recapitalizations and Mergers
If we take certain actions that affect the deposited securities, including (i) any change in par value, split-up, consolidation, cancellation or other reclassification of deposited securities or (ii) any distributions of shares or other property not made to holders of ADRs or (iii) any recapitalization, reorganization, merger, consolidation,
26
Table of Contents
liquidation, receivership, bankruptcy or sale of all or substantially all of our assets, then the depositary may choose to, and shall if reasonably requested by us:
• | amend the form of ADR; |
• | distribute additional or amended ADRs; |
• | distribute cash, securities or other property it has received in connection with such actions; |
• | sell any securities or property received and distribute the proceeds as cash; or |
• | none of the above. |
If the depositary does not choose any of the above options, any of the cash, securities or other property it receives will constitute part of the deposited securities and each ADS will then represent a proportionate interest in such property.
Amendment and Termination
How may the deposit agreement be amended?
We may agree with the depositary to amend the deposit agreement and the ADSs without your consent for any reason. ADR holders must be given at least 30 days’ notice of any amendment that imposes or increases any fees or charges (other than stock transfer or other taxes and other governmental charges, transfer or registration fees, SWIFT, cable, telex or facsimile transmission costs, delivery costs or other such expenses), or otherwise prejudices any substantial existing right of ADR holders or beneficial owners. Such notice need not describe in detail the specific amendments effectuated thereby, but must identify to ADR holders and beneficial owners a means to access the text of such amendment. If an ADR holder continues to hold an ADR or ADRs after being so notified, such ADR holder and any beneficial owner are deemed to agree to such amendment and to be bound by the deposit agreement as so amended. No amendment, however, will impair your right to surrender your ADSs and receive the underlying securities, except in order to comply with mandatory provisions of applicable law.
Any amendments or supplements which (i) are reasonably necessary (as agreed by us and the depositary) in order for (a) the ADSs to be registered on Form F-6 under the Securities Act of 1933 or (b) the ADSs or shares to be traded solely in electronic book-entry form and (ii) do not in either such case impose or increase any fees or charges to be borne by ADR holders, shall be deemed not to prejudice any substantial rights of ADR holders or beneficial owners. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if any governmental body or regulatory body should adopt new laws, rules or regulations which would require amendment or supplement of the deposit agreement or the form of ADR to ensure compliance therewith, we and the depositary may amend or supplement the deposit agreement and the ADR at any time in accordance with such changed laws, rules or regulations. Such amendment or supplement to the deposit agreement in such circumstances may become effective before a notice of such amendment or supplement is given to ADR holders or within any other period of time as required for compliance.
Notice of any amendment to the deposit agreement or form of ADRs shall not need to describe in detail the specific amendments effectuated thereby, and failure to describe the specific amendments in any such notice shall not render such notice invalid, provided, however, that, in each such case, the notice given to the ADR holders identifies a means for ADR holders and beneficial owners to retrieve or receive the text of such amendment (i.e., upon retrieval from the SEC’s, the depositary’s or our website or upon request from the depositary).
How may the deposit agreement be terminated?
The depositary may, and shall at our written direction, terminate the deposit agreement and the ADRs by mailing notice of such termination to the registered holders of ADRs at least 30 days prior to the date fixed in
27
Table of Contents
such notice for such termination; provided, however, if the depositary shall have (i) resigned as depositary under the deposit agreement, notice of such termination by the depositary shall not be provided to registered ADR holders unless a successor depositary shall not be operating under the deposit agreement within 60 days of the date of such resignation, and (ii) been removed as depositary under the deposit agreement, notice of such termination by the depositary shall not be provided to registered holders of ADRs unless a successor depositary shall not be operating under the deposit agreement on the 60th day after our notice of removal was first provided to the depositary.
After the date so fixed for termination, (a) all direct registration ADRs shall cease to be eligible for the direct registration system and shall be considered ADRs issued on the ADR register maintained by the depositary and (b) the depositary shall use its reasonable efforts to ensure that the ADSs cease to be DTC eligible so that neither DTC nor any of its nominees shall thereafter be a registered holder of ADRs. At such time as the ADSs cease to be DTC eligible and/or neither DTC nor any of its nominees is a registered holder of ADRs, the depositary shall (a) instruct its custodian to deliver all shares to us along with a general stock power that refers to the names set forth on the ADR register maintained by the depositary and (b) provide us with a copy of the ADR register maintained by the depositary. Upon receipt of such shares and the ADR register maintained by the depositary, we have agreed to use our best efforts to issue to each registered ADR holder a Share certificate representing the Shares represented by the ADSs reflected on the ADR register maintained by the depositary in such registered ADR holder’s name and to deliver such Share certificate to the registered ADR holder at the address set forth on the ADR register maintained by the depositary. After providing such instruction to the custodian and delivering a copy of the ADR register to us, the depositary and its agents will perform no further acts under the deposit agreement or the ADRs and shall cease to have any obligations under the deposit agreement and/or the ADRs.
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, in connection with any such termination, the depositary may, in its sole discretion and without notice to us, establish an unsponsored American depositary share program (on such terms as the depositary may determine) for our shares and make available to ADR holders a means to withdraw the shares represented by the ADSs issued under the deposit agreement and to direct the deposit of such shares into such unsponsored American depositary share program, subject, in each case, to receipt by the depositary, at its discretion, of the fees, charges and expenses provided for under the deposit agreement and the fees, charges and expenses applicable to the unsponsored American depositary share program.
Limitations on Obligations and Liability to ADR holders
Limits on our obligations and the obligations of the depositary; limits on liability to ADR holders and holders of ADSs
Prior to the issue, registration, registration of transfer, split-up, combination, or cancellation of any ADRs, or the delivery of any distribution in respect thereof, and from time to time in the case of the production of proofs as described below, we or the depositary or its custodian may require:
• | payment with respect thereto of (i) any stock transfer or other tax or other governmental charge, (ii) any stock transfer or registration fees in effect for the registration of transfers of shares or other deposited securities upon any applicable register and (iii) any applicable fees and expenses described in the deposit agreement; |
• | the production of proof satisfactory to it of (i) the identity of any signatory and genuineness of any signature and (ii) such other information, including without limitation, information as to citizenship, residence, exchange control approval, beneficial or other ownership of, or interest in, any securities, compliance with applicable law, regulations, provisions of or governing deposited securities and terms of the deposit agreement and the ADRs, as it may deem necessary or proper; and |
• | compliance with such regulations as the depositary may establish consistent with the deposit agreement. |
28
Table of Contents
The issuance of ADRs, the acceptance of deposits of shares, the registration, registration of transfer, split-up or combination of ADRs or the withdrawal of shares, may be suspended, generally or in particular instances, when the ADR register or any register for deposited securities is closed or when any such action is deemed advisable by the depositary; provided that the ability to withdraw shares may only be limited under the following circumstances: (i) temporary delays caused by closing transfer books of the depositary or our transfer books or the deposit of shares in connection with voting at a shareholders’ meeting, or the payment of dividends, (ii) the payment of fees, taxes, and similar charges, and (iii) compliance with any laws or governmental regulations relating to ADRs or to the withdrawal of deposited securities.
The deposit agreement expressly limits the obligations and liability of the depositary, ourselves and our respective agents, provided, however, that no disclaimer of liability under the Securities Act of 1933 is intended by any of the limitations of liabilities provisions of the deposit agreement. The deposit agreement provides that each of us, the depositary and our respective agents will:
• | incur or assume no liability (including, without limitation, to holders or beneficial owners) if any present or future law, rule, regulation, fiat, order or decree of the Cayman Islands, Hong Kong, the People’s Republic of China, the United States or any other country or jurisdiction, or of any governmental or regulatory authority or securities exchange or market or automated quotation system, the provisions of or governing any deposited securities, any present or future provision of our charter, any act of God, war, terrorism, nationalization, expropriation, currency restrictions, work stoppage, strike, civil unrest, revolutions, rebellions, explosions, computer failure or circumstance beyond our, the depositary’s or our respective agents’ direct and immediate control shall prevent or delay, or shall cause any of them to be subject to any civil or criminal penalty in connection with, any act which the deposit agreement or the ADRs provide shall be done or performed by us, the depositary or our respective agents (including, without limitation, voting); |
• | incur or assume no liability (including, without limitation, to holders or beneficial owners) by reason of any non-performance or delay, caused as aforesaid, in the performance of any act or things which by the terms of the deposit agreement it is provided shall or may be done or performed or any exercise or failure to exercise discretion under the deposit agreement or the ADRs including, without limitation, any failure to determine that any distribution or action may be lawful or reasonably practicable; |
• | incur or assume no liability (including, without limitation, to holders or beneficial owners) if it performs its obligations under the deposit agreement and ADRs without gross negligence or willful misconduct; |
• | in the case of the depositary and its agents, be under no obligation to appear in, prosecute or defend any action, suit or other proceeding in respect of any deposited securities the ADSs or the ADRs; |
• | in the case of us and our agents, be under no obligation to appear in, prosecute or defend any action, suit or other proceeding in respect of any deposited securities the ADSs or the ADRs, which in our or our agents’ opinion, as the case may be, may involve it in expense or liability, unless indemnity satisfactory to us or our agent, as the case may be against all expense (including fees and disbursements of counsel) and liability be furnished as often as may be requested; |
• | not be liable (including, without limitation, to holders or beneficial owners) for any action or inaction by it in reliance upon the advice of or information from any legal counsel, any accountant, any person presenting shares for deposit, any registered holder of ADRs, or any other person believed by it to be competent to give such advice or information and/or, in the case of the depositary, us; or |
• | may rely and shall be protected in acting upon any written notice, request, direction, instruction or document believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed, presented or given by the proper party or parties. |
Neither the depositary nor its agents have any obligation to appear in, prosecute or defend any action, suit or other proceeding in respect of any deposited securities, the ADSs or the ADRs. We and our agents shall only be
29
Table of Contents
obligated to appear in, prosecute or defend any action, suit or other proceeding in respect of any deposited securities, the ADSs or the ADRs, which in our opinion may involve us in expense or liability, if indemnity satisfactory to us against all expense (including fees and disbursements of counsel) and liability is furnished as often as may be required. The depositary and its agents may fully respond to any and all demands or requests for information maintained by or on its behalf in connection with the deposit agreement, any registered holder or holders of ADRs, any ADRs or otherwise related to the deposit agreement or ADRs to the extent such information is requested or required by or pursuant to any lawful authority, including without limitation laws, rules, regulations, administrative or judicial process, banking, securities or other regulators. The depositary shall not be liable for the acts or omissions made by, or the insolvency of, any securities depository, clearing agency or settlement system. Furthermore, the depositary shall not be responsible for, and shall incur no liability in connection with or arising from, the insolvency of any custodian that is not a branch or affiliate of JPMorgan. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in the deposit agreement or any ADRs, the depositary shall not be responsible for, and shall incur no liability in connection with or arising from, any act or omission to act on the part of the custodian except to the extent that any registered ADR holder has incurred liability directly as a result of the custodian having (i) committed fraud or willful misconduct in the provision of custodial services to the depositary or (ii) failed to use reasonable care in the provision of custodial services to the depositary as determined in accordance with the standards prevailing in the jurisdiction in which the custodian is located. The depositary and the custodian(s) may use third party delivery services and providers of information regarding matters such as, but not limited to, pricing, proxy voting, corporate actions, class action litigation and other services in connection with the ADRs and the deposit agreement, and use local agents to provide services such as, but not limited to, attendance at any meetings of security holders of issuers. Although the depositary and the custodian will use reasonable care (and cause their agents to use reasonable care) in the selection and retention of such third party providers and local agents, they will not be responsible for any errors or omissions made by them in providing the relevant information or services. The depositary shall not have any liability for the price received in connection with any sale of securities, the timing thereof or any delay in action or omission to act nor shall it be responsible for any error or delay in action, omission to act, default or negligence on the part of the party so retained in connection with any such sale or proposed sale.
The depositary has no obligation to inform ADR holders or beneficial owners about the requirements of the laws, rules or regulations or any changes therein or thereto of the Cayman Islands, Hong Kong, the People’s Republic of China, the United States or any other country or jurisdiction or of any governmental or regulatory authority or any securities exchange or market or automated quotation system.
Additionally, none of us, the depositary or the custodian shall be liable for the failure by any registered holder of ADRs or beneficial owner therein to obtain the benefits of credits or refunds of non-U.S. tax paid against such ADR holder’s or beneficial owner’s income tax liability. The depositary is under no obligation to provide the ADR holders and beneficial owners, or any of them, with any information about our tax status. Neither we nor the depositary shall incur any liability for any tax or tax consequences that may be incurred by registered ADR holders or beneficial owners on account of their ownership or disposition of ADRs or ADSs.
Neither the depositary nor its agents will be responsible for any failure to carry out any instructions to vote any of the deposited securities, for the manner in which any voting instructions are given, or deemed to be given pursuant to the terms of the deposit agreement, including instructions to give a discretionary proxy to a person designated by us, for the manner in which any vote is cast, including, without limitation, any vote cast by a person to whom the depositary is instructed to grant a discretionary proxy (or deemed to have been instructed pursuant to the terms of the deposit agreement), or for the effect of any such vote. The depositary may rely upon instructions from us or our counsel in respect of any approval or license required for any currency conversion, transfer or distribution. The depositary shall not incur any liability for the content of any information submitted to it by us or on our behalf for distribution to ADR holders or for any inaccuracy of any translation thereof, for any investment risk associated with acquiring an interest in the deposited securities, for the validity or worth of the deposited securities, for the credit-worthiness of any third party, for allowing any rights to lapse upon the terms of the deposit agreement or for the failure or timeliness of any notice from us. The depositary shall not be
30
Table of Contents
liable for any acts or omissions made by a successor depositary whether in connection with a previous act or omission of the depositary or in connection with any matter arising wholly after the removal or resignation of the depositary. Neither the depositary nor any of its agents shall be liable for any indirect, special, punitive or consequential damages (including, without limitation, legal fees and expenses) or lost profits, in each case of any form incurred by any person or entity (including, without limitation holders or beneficial owners of ADRs and ADSs), whether or not foreseeable and regardless of the type of action in which such a claim may be brought.
In the deposit agreement each party thereto (including, for avoidance of doubt, each ADR holder and beneficial owner) irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any right it may have to a trial by jury in any suit, action or proceeding against the depositary and/or us directly or indirectly arising out of or relating to the shares or other deposited securities, the ADSs or the ADRs, the deposit agreement or any transaction contemplated therein, or the breach thereof (whether based on contract, tort, common law or any other theory). No provision of the deposit agreement or the ADRs is intended to constitute a waiver or limitation of any rights which an ADR holder or any beneficial owner may have under the Securities Act of 1933 or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, to the extent applicable.
The depositary and its agents may own and deal in any class of securities of our company and our affiliates and in ADRs.
Disclosure of Interest in ADSs
To the extent that the provisions of or governing any deposited securities may require disclosure of or impose limits on beneficial or other ownership of, or interest in, deposited securities, other shares and other securities and may provide for blocking transfer, voting or other rights to enforce such disclosure or limits, you as ADR holders or beneficial owners agree to comply with all such disclosure requirements and ownership limitations and to comply with any reasonable instructions we may provide in respect thereof.
Books of Depositary
The depositary or its agent will maintain a register for the registration, registration of transfer, combination and split-up of ADRs, which register shall include the depositary’s direct registration system. Registered holders of ADRs may inspect such records at the depositary’s office at all reasonable times, but solely for the purpose of communicating with other ADR holders in the interest of the business of our company or a matter relating to the deposit agreement. Such register may be closed at any time or from time to time, when deemed expedient by the depositary or, in the case of the issuance book portion of the ADR Register, when reasonably requested by the Company solely in order to enable the Company to comply with applicable law.
The depositary will maintain facilities for the delivery and receipt of ADRs.
Appointment
In the deposit agreement, each registered holder of ADRs and each beneficial owner, upon acceptance of any ADSs or ADRs (or any interest in any of them) issued in accordance with the terms and conditions of the deposit agreement will be deemed for all purposes to:
• | be a party to and bound by the terms of the deposit agreement and the applicable ADR or ADRs, |
• | appoint the depositary its attorney-in-fact, with full power to delegate, to act on its behalf and to take any and all actions contemplated in the deposit agreement and the applicable ADR or ADRs, to adopt any and all procedures necessary to comply with applicable laws and to take such action as the depositary in its sole discretion may deem necessary or appropriate to carry out the purposes of the deposit agreement and the applicable ADR or ADRs, the taking of such actions to be the conclusive determinant of the necessity and appropriateness thereof; and |
31
Table of Contents
• | acknowledge and agree that (i) nothing in the deposit agreement or any ADR shall give rise to a partnership or joint venture among the parties thereto, nor establish a fiduciary or similar relationship among such parties, (ii) the depositary, its divisions, branches and affiliates, and their respective agents, may from time to time be in the possession of non-public information about us, ADR holders, beneficial owners and/or their respective affiliates, (iii) the depositary and its divisions, branches and affiliates may at any time have multiple banking relationships with us, ADR holders, beneficial owners and/or the affiliates of any of them, (iv) the depositary and its divisions, branches and affiliates may, from time to time, be engaged in transactions in which parties adverse to us, ADR holders, beneficial owners and/or their respective affiliates may have interests, (v) nothing contained in the deposit agreement or any ADR(s) shall (A) preclude the depositary or any of its divisions, branches or affiliates from engaging in any such transactions or establishing or maintaining any such relationships, or (B) obligate the depositary or any of its divisions, branches or affiliates to disclose any such transactions or relationships or to account for any profit made or payment received in any such transactions or relationships, (vi) the depositary shall not be deemed to have knowledge of any information held by any branch, division or affiliate of the depositary and (vii) notice to an ADR holder shall be deemed, for all purposes of the deposit agreement and the ADRs, to constitute notice to any and all beneficial owners of the ADSs evidenced by such ADR holder’s ADRs. For all purposes under the deposit agreement and the ADRs, the ADR holders thereof shall be deemed to have all requisite authority to act on behalf of any and all beneficial owners of the ADSs evidenced by such ADRs. |
Governing Law
The deposit agreement, the ADSs and the ADRs are governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York. In the deposit agreement, we have submitted to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the State of New York and appointed an agent for service of process on our behalf. Any action based on the deposit agreement, the ADSs, the ADRs or the transactions contemplated therein or thereby may also be instituted by the depositary against us in any competent court in the Cayman Islands, Hong Kong, the People’s Republic of China, the United States and/or any other court of competent jurisdiction.
Under the deposit agreement, by holding or owning an ADR or ADS or an interest therein, ADR holders and beneficial owners each irrevocably agree that any legal suit, action or proceeding against or involving ADR holders or beneficial owners brought by us or the depositary, arising out of or based upon the deposit agreement, the ADSs, the ADRs or the transactions contemplated thereby, may be instituted in a state or federal court in New York, New York, irrevocably waive any objection which you may have to the laying of venue of any such proceeding, and irrevocably submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of such courts in any such suit, action or proceeding. By holding or owning an ADR or ADS or an interest therein, ADR holders and beneficial owners each also irrevocably agree that any legal suit, action or proceeding against or involving the depositary brought by ADR holders or beneficial owners, arising out of or based upon the deposit agreement, the ADSs, the ADRs or the transactions contemplated thereby, may only be instituted in a state or federal court in New York, New York.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, (i) the depositary may, in its sole discretion, elect to institute any dispute, suit, action, controversy, claim or proceeding directly or indirectly based on, arising out of or relating to the deposit agreement, the ADSs, the ADRs or the transactions contemplated therein or thereby, including without limitation any question regarding its or their existence, validity, interpretation, performance or termination, against any other party or parties to the deposit agreement (including, without limitation, against ADR holders and beneficial owners of interests in ADSs), by having the matter referred to and finally resolved by an arbitration conducted under the terms described below, and (ii) the depositary may in its sole discretion require, by written notice to the relevant party or parties, that any dispute, suit, action, controversy, claim or proceeding against the depositary by any party or parties to the deposit agreement (including, without limitation, by ADR holders and beneficial owners of interests in ADSs) shall be referred to and finally settled by an arbitration conducted under the terms described below. Any such arbitration shall be conducted in the English language
32
Table of Contents
either in New York, New York in accordance with the Commercial Arbitration Rules of the American Arbitration Association or in Hong Kong following the arbitration rules of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL).
Jury Trial Waiver
In the deposit agreement, each party thereto (including, for the avoidance of doubt, each holder and beneficial owner of, and/or holder of interests in, ADSs or ADRs) irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any right it may have to a trial by jury in any suit, action or proceeding against the depositary and/or us directly or indirectly arising out of or relating to the shares or other deposited securities, the ADSs or the ADRs, the deposit agreement or any transaction contemplated therein, or the breach thereof (whether based on contract, tort, common law or any other theory), including any claim under the U.S. federal securities laws.
If we or the depositary were to oppose a jury trial demand based on such waiver, the court would determine whether the waiver was enforceable in the facts and circumstances of that case in accordance with applicable state and federal law, including whether a party knowingly, intelligently and voluntarily waived the right to a jury trial. The waiver to right to a jury trial in the deposit agreement is not intended to be deemed a waiver by any holder or beneficial owner of ADSs of our or the depositary’s compliance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
33
Table of Contents
DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES
We may issue debt securities from time to time, in one or more series, as either senior or subordinated debt or as senior or subordinated convertible debt. While the terms we have summarized below will apply generally to any debt securities that we may offer under this prospectus, we will describe the particular terms of any debt securities that we may offer in more detail in the applicable prospectus supplement. The terms of any debt securities offered under a prospectus supplement may differ from the terms described below. Unless the context requires otherwise, whenever we refer to the indenture, we also are referring to any supplemental indentures that specify the terms of a particular series of debt securities.
We will issue the debt securities under the indenture that we will enter into with the trustee named in the indenture. The indenture will be qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, or the Trust Indenture Act. We have filed the form of indenture as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, and supplemental indentures and forms of debt securities containing the terms of the debt securities being offered will be filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part or will be incorporated by reference from reports that we file with the SEC.
The following summary of material provisions of the debt securities and the indenture is subject to, and qualified in its entirety by reference to, all of the provisions of the indenture applicable to a particular series of debt securities. We urge you to read the applicable prospectus supplements and any related free writing prospectuses related to the debt securities that we may offer under this prospectus, as well as the complete indenture that contains the terms of the debt securities.
General
The indenture does not limit the amount of debt securities that we may issue. It provides that we may issue debt securities up to the principal amount that we may authorize and may be in any currency or currency unit that we may designate. Except for the limitations on consolidation, merger and sale of all or substantially all of our assets contained in the indenture applicable to a particular series of debt securities, the terms of the indenture do not contain any covenants or other provisions designed to give holders of any debt securities protection against changes in our operations, financial condition or transactions involving us.
We may issue the debt securities issued under the indenture as “discount securities,” which means they may be sold at a discount below their stated principal amount. These debt securities, as well as other debt securities that are not issued at a discount, may be issued with “original issue discount,” or OID, for U.S. federal income tax purposes because of interest payment and other characteristics or terms of the debt securities. Material U.S. federal income tax considerations applicable to debt securities issued with OID will be described in more detail in any applicable prospectus supplement.
We will describe in the applicable prospectus supplement the terms of the series of debt securities being offered, including:
• | the title of the series of debt securities; |
• | any limit upon the aggregate principal amount that may be issued; |
• | the maturity date or dates; |
• | the form of the debt securities of the series; |
• | the applicability of any guarantees; |
• | whether or not the debt securities will be secured or unsecured, and the terms of any secured debt; |
• | whether the debt securities rank as senior debt, senior subordinated debt, subordinated debt or any combination thereof, and the terms of any subordination; |
34
Table of Contents
• | if the price (expressed as a percentage of the aggregate principal amount thereof) at which such debt securities will be issued is a price other than the principal amount thereof, the portion of the principal amount thereof payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity thereof, or if applicable, the portion of the principal amount of such debt securities that is convertible into another security or the method by which any such portion shall be determined; |
• | the interest rate or rates, which may be fixed or variable, or the method for determining the rate and the date interest will begin to accrue, the dates interest will be payable and the regular record dates for interest payment dates or the method for determining such dates; |
• | our right, if any, to defer payment of interest and the maximum length of any such deferral period; |
• | if applicable, the date or dates after which, or the period or periods during which, and the price or prices at which, we may, at our option, redeem the series of debt securities pursuant to any optional or provisional redemption provisions and the terms of those redemption provisions; |
• | the date or dates, if any, on which, and the price or prices at which we are obligated, pursuant to any mandatory sinking fund or analogous fund provisions or otherwise, to redeem, or at the holder’s option to purchase, the series of debt securities and the currency or currency unit in which the debt securities are payable; |
• | the denominations in which we will issue the series of debt securities, if other than denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof; |
• | any and all terms, if applicable, relating to any auction or remarketing of the debt securities of that series and any security for our obligations with respect to such debt securities and any other terms which may be advisable in connection with the marketing of debt securities of that series; |
• | whether the debt securities of the series shall be issued in whole or in part in the form of a global security or securities; the terms and conditions, if any, upon which such global security or securities may be exchanged in whole or in part for other individual securities; and the depositary for such global security or securities; |
• | if applicable, the provisions relating to conversion or exchange of any debt securities of the series and the terms and conditions upon which such debt securities will be so convertible or exchangeable, including the conversion or exchange price, as applicable, or how it will be calculated and may be adjusted, any mandatory or optional (at our option or the holders’ option) conversion or exchange features, the applicable conversion or exchange period and the manner of settlement for any conversion or exchange; |
• | if other than the full principal amount thereof, the portion of the principal amount of debt securities of the series which shall be payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity thereof; |
• | additions to or changes in the covenants applicable to the particular debt securities being issued, including, among others, the consolidation, merger or sale covenant; |
• | additions to or changes in the events of default with respect to the securities and any change in the right of the trustee or the holders to declare the principal, premium, if any, and interest, if any, with respect to such securities to be due and payable; |
• | additions to or changes in or deletions of the provisions relating to covenant defeasance and legal defeasance; |
• | additions to or changes in the provisions relating to satisfaction and discharge of the indenture; |
• | additions to or changes in the provisions relating to the modification of the indenture both with and without the consent of holders of debt securities issued under the indenture; |
• | the currency of payment of debt securities if other than U.S. dollars and the manner of determining the equivalent amount in U.S. dollars; |
35
Table of Contents
• | whether interest will be payable in cash or additional debt securities at our or the holders’ option and the terms and conditions upon which the election may be made; |
• | the terms and conditions, if any, upon which we will pay amounts in addition to the stated interest, premium, if any and principal amounts of the debt securities of the series to any holder that is not a “United States person” for federal tax purposes; |
• | any restrictions on transfer, sale or assignment of the debt securities of the series; and |
• | any other specific terms, preferences, rights or limitations of, or restrictions on, the debt securities, any other additions or changes in the provisions of the indenture, and any terms that may be required by us or advisable under applicable laws or regulations. |
Conversion or Exchange Rights
We will set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement the terms on which a series of debt securities may be convertible into or exchangeable for our ordinary shares or our other securities. We will include provisions as to settlement upon conversion or exchange and whether conversion or exchange is mandatory, at the option of the holder or at our option. We may include provisions pursuant to which the number of our ordinary shares or our other securities that the holders of the series of debt securities receive would be subject to adjustment.
Consolidation, Merger or Sale
Unless we provide otherwise in the prospectus supplement applicable to a particular series of debt securities, the indenture will not contain any covenant that restricts our ability to merge or consolidate, or sell, convey, transfer or otherwise dispose of our assets as an entirety or substantially as an entirety. However, any successor to or acquirer of such assets (other than a subsidiary of ours) must assume all of our obligations under the indenture or the debt securities, as appropriate.
Events of Default under the Indenture
Unless we provide otherwise in the prospectus supplement applicable to a particular series of debt securities, the following are events of default under the indenture with respect to any series of debt securities that we may issue:
• | if we fail to pay any installment of interest on any series of debt securities, as and when the same shall become due and payable, and such default continues for a period of 90 days; provided, however, that a valid extension of an interest payment period by us in accordance with the terms of any indenture supplemental thereto shall not constitute a default in the payment of interest for this purpose; |
• | if we fail to pay the principal of, or premium, if any, on any series of debt securities as and when the same shall become due and payable whether at maturity, upon redemption, by declaration or otherwise, or in any payment required by any sinking or analogous fund established with respect to such series; provided, however, that a valid extension of the maturity of such debt securities in accordance with the terms of any indenture supplemental thereto shall not constitute a default in the payment of principal or premium, if any; |
• | if we fail to observe or perform any other covenant or agreement contained in the debt securities or the indenture, other than a covenant specifically relating to another series of debt securities, and our failure continues for 90 days after we receive written notice of such failure, requiring the same to be remedied and stating that such is a notice of default thereunder, from the trustee or holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of the applicable series; and |
• | if specified events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization occur. |
36
Table of Contents
If an event of default with respect to debt securities of any series occurs and is continuing, other than an event of default specified in the last bullet point above, the trustee or the holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series, by notice to us in writing, and to the trustee if notice is given by such holders, may declare the unpaid principal of, premium, if any, and accrued interest, if any, due and payable immediately. If an event of default specified in the last bullet point above occurs with respect to us, the principal amount of and accrued interest, if any, of each issue of debt securities then outstanding shall be due and payable without any notice or other action on the part of the trustee or any holder.
The holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of an affected series may waive any default or event of default with respect to the series and its consequences, except defaults or events of default regarding payment of principal, premium, if any, or interest, unless we have cured the default or event of default in accordance with the indenture. Any waiver shall cure the default or event of default.
Subject to the terms of the indenture, if an event of default under the indenture shall occur and be continuing, the trustee will be under no obligation to exercise any of its rights or powers under such indenture at the request or direction of any of the holders of the applicable series of debt securities, unless such holders have offered the trustee reasonable indemnity. The holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series will have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred on the trustee, with respect to the debt securities of that series, provided that:
• | the direction so given by the holder is not in conflict with any law or the applicable indenture; and |
• | subject to its duties under the Trust Indenture Act, the trustee need not take any action that might involve it in personal liability or might be unduly prejudicial to the holders not involved in the proceeding. |
A holder of the debt securities of any series will have the right to institute a proceeding under the indenture or to appoint a receiver or trustee, or to seek other remedies only if:
• | the holder has given written notice to the trustee of a continuing event of default with respect to that series; |
• | the holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series have made written request, |
• | such holders have offered to the trustee indemnity satisfactory to it against the costs, expenses and liabilities to be incurred by the trustee in compliance with the request; and |
• | the trustee does not institute the proceeding, and does not receive from the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series other conflicting directions within 90 days after the notice, request and offer. |
These limitations do not apply to a suit instituted by a holder of debt securities if we default in the payment of the principal, premium, if any, or interest on, the debt securities.
We will periodically file statements with the trustee regarding our compliance with specified covenants in the indenture.
Modification of Indenture; Waiver
We and the trustee may change the indenture without the consent of any holders with respect to specific matters:
• | to cure any ambiguity, defect or inconsistency in the indenture or in the debt securities of any series; |
37
Table of Contents
• | to comply with the provisions described above under “—Consolidation, Merger or Sale;” |
• | to provide for uncertificated debt securities in addition to or in place of certificated debt securities; |
• | to add to our covenants, restrictions, conditions or provisions such new covenants, restrictions, conditions or provisions for the benefit of the holders of all or any series of debt securities, to make the occurrence, or the occurrence and the continuance, of a default in any such additional covenants, restrictions, conditions or provisions an event of default or to surrender any right or power conferred upon us in the indenture; |
• | to add to, delete from or revise the conditions, limitations, and restrictions on the authorized amount, terms, or purposes of issue, authentication and delivery of debt securities, as set forth in the indenture; |
• | to make any change that does not adversely affect the interests of any holder of debt securities of any series in any material respect; |
• | to provide for the issuance of and establish the form and terms and conditions of the debt securities of any series as provided above under “—General” to establish the form of any certifications required to be furnished pursuant to the terms of the indenture or any series of debt securities, or to add to the rights of the holders of any series of debt securities; |
• | to evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment under any indenture by a successor trustee; or |
• | to comply with any requirements of the SEC in connection with the qualification of any indenture under the Trust Indenture Act. |
In addition, under the indenture, the rights of holders of a series of debt securities may be changed by us and the trustee with the written consent of the holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of each series that is affected. However, unless we provide otherwise in the prospectus supplement applicable to a particular series of debt securities, we and the trustee may make the following changes only with the consent of each holder of any outstanding debt securities affected:
• | extending the fixed maturity of any debt securities of any series; |
• | reducing the principal amount, reducing the rate of or extending the time of payment of interest, or reducing any premium payable upon the redemption of any series of any debt securities; or |
• | reducing the percentage of debt securities, the holders of which are required to consent to any amendment, supplement, modification or waiver. |
Discharge
The indenture provides that we can elect to be discharged from our obligations with respect to one or more series of debt securities, except for specified obligations, including obligations to:
• | provide for payment; |
• | register the transfer or exchange of debt securities of the series; |
• | replace stolen, lost or mutilated debt securities of the series; |
• | pay principal of and premium and interest on any debt securities of the series; |
• | maintain paying agencies; |
• | hold monies for payment in trust; |
• | recover excess money held by the trustee; |
• | compensate and indemnify the trustee; and |
• | appoint any successor trustee. |
38
Table of Contents
In order to exercise our rights to be discharged, we must deposit with the trustee money or government obligations sufficient to pay all the principal of, any premium, if any, and interest on, the debt securities of the series on the dates payments are due.
Form, Exchange and Transfer
We will issue the debt securities of each series only in fully registered form without coupons and, unless we provide otherwise in the applicable prospectus supplement, in denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof. The indenture provides that we may issue debt securities of a series in temporary or permanent global form and as book-entry securities that will be deposited with, or on behalf of, The Depository Trust Company, or DTC, or another depositary named by us and identified in the applicable prospectus supplement with respect to that series. To the extent the debt securities of a series are issued in global form and as book-entry, a description of terms relating to any book-entry securities will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.
At the option of the holder, subject to the terms of the indenture and the limitations applicable to global securities described in the applicable prospectus supplement, the holder of the debt securities of any series can exchange the debt securities for other debt securities of the same series, in any authorized denomination and of like tenor and aggregate principal amount.
Subject to the terms of the indenture and the limitations applicable to global securities set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement, holders of the debt securities may present the debt securities for exchange or for registration of transfer, duly endorsed or with the form of transfer endorsed thereon duly executed if so required by us or the security registrar, at the office of the security registrar or at the office of any transfer agent designated by us for this purpose. Unless otherwise provided in the debt securities that the holder presents for transfer or exchange, we will impose no service charge for any registration of transfer or exchange, but we may require payment of any taxes or other governmental charges.
We will name in the applicable prospectus supplement the security registrar, and any transfer agent in addition to the security registrar, that we initially designate for any debt securities. We may at any time designate additional transfer agents or rescind the designation of any transfer agent or approve a change in the office through which any transfer agent acts, except that we will be required to maintain a transfer agent in each place of payment for the debt securities of each series.
If we elect to redeem the debt securities of any series, we will not be required to:
• | issue, register the transfer of, or exchange any debt securities of that series during a period beginning at the opening of business 15 days before the day of mailing of a notice of redemption of any debt securities that may be selected for redemption and ending at the close of business on the day of the mailing; or |
• | register the transfer of or exchange any debt securities so selected for redemption, in whole or in part, except the unredeemed portion of any debt securities we are redeeming in part. |
Information Concerning the Trustee
The trustee, other than during the occurrence and continuance of an event of default under the indenture, undertakes to perform only those duties as are specifically set forth in the indenture. Upon an event of default under the indenture, the trustee must use the same degree of care as a prudent person would exercise or use in the conduct of his or her own affairs. Subject to this provision, the trustee is under no obligation to exercise any of the powers given it by the indenture at the request of any holder of debt securities unless it is offered reasonable security and indemnity against the costs, expenses and liabilities that it might incur.
39
Table of Contents
Payment and Paying Agents
Unless we otherwise indicate in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will make payment of the interest on any debt securities on any interest payment date to the person in whose name the debt securities, or one or more predecessor securities, are registered at the close of business on the regular record date for the interest.
We will pay principal of and any premium and interest on the debt securities of a particular series at the office of the paying agents designated by us, except that unless we otherwise indicate in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will make interest payments by check that we will mail to the holder or by wire transfer to certain holders. Unless we otherwise indicate in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will designate the corporate trust office of the trustee as our sole paying agent for payments with respect to debt securities of each series. We will name in the applicable prospectus supplement any other paying agents that we initially designate for the debt securities of a particular series. We will maintain a paying agent in each place of payment for the debt securities of a particular series.
All money we pay to a paying agent or the trustee for the payment of the principal of or any premium or interest on any debt securities that remains unclaimed at the end of two years after such principal, premium or interest has become due and payable will be repaid to us, and the holder of the debt security thereafter may look only to us for payment thereof.
Governing Law
The indenture and the debt securities will be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York, except to the extent that the Trust Indenture Act is applicable.
40
Table of Contents
ENFORCEABILITY OF CIVIL LIABILITIES
We are incorporated and existing under the laws of the Cayman Islands to take advantage of certain benefits associated with being a Cayman Islands exempted company, such as:
• | political and economic stability; |
• | an effective judicial system; |
• | a favorable tax system; |
• | the absence of exchange control or currency restrictions; and |
• | the availability of professional and support services. |
However, certain disadvantages accompany incorporation in the Cayman Islands. These disadvantages include:
• | the Cayman Islands has a less developed body of securities laws as compared to the United States and provides significantly less protection to investors; and |
• | Cayman Islands companies do not have standing to sue before the federal courts of the United States. |
Our constituent documents do not contain provisions requiring that disputes, including those arising under the securities laws of the United States, between us, our officers, directors and shareholders, be arbitrated.
Certain of our directors are nationals or residents of jurisdictions other than the United States and most of their assets are located outside the United States. As a result, it may be difficult for a shareholder to effect service of process within the United States upon these individuals, or to bring an action against us or these individuals in the United States, or to enforce against us or them judgments obtained in United States courts, including judgments predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the United States or any state in the United States.
Harney Westwood & Riegels, our counsel as to Cayman Islands law, has advised us that there is uncertainty as to whether the courts of the Cayman Islands would (i) recognize or enforce judgments of U.S. courts obtained against us or our directors or officers that are predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the federal securities laws of the United States or the securities laws of any state in the United States, or (ii) entertain original actions brought in the Cayman Islands against us or our directors or officers that are predicated upon the federal securities laws of the United States or the securities laws of any state in the United States.
Harney Westwood & Riegels has informed us that although there is no statutory enforcement in the Cayman Islands of judgments obtained in the federal or state courts of the United States (and the Cayman Islands are not a party to any treaties for the reciprocal enforcement or recognition of such judgments), the courts of the Cayman Islands will, at common law, recognize and enforce a foreign money judgment of a foreign court of competent jurisdiction without any re-examination of the merits of the underlying dispute based on the principle that a judgment of a competent foreign court imposes upon the judgment debtor an obligation to pay the liquidated sum for which such judgment has been given, provided such judgment (i) is final and conclusive, (ii) is not in respect of taxes, a fine or a penalty or similar fiscal or revenue obligations, and (iii) was not obtained in a manner and is not of a kind the enforcement of which is contrary to natural justice or the public policy of the Cayman Islands. However, the Cayman Islands courts are unlikely to enforce a judgment obtained from the U.S. courts under civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal securities law if such judgment is determined by the courts of the Cayman Islands to give rise to obligations to make payments that are penal or punitive in nature. A Cayman Islands court may stay enforcement proceedings if concurrent proceedings are being brought elsewhere.
41
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Selling security holders are persons or entities that, directly or indirectly, have acquired or will from time to time acquire from us, our securities. If the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part is used by selling security holders for the resale of any securities registered thereunder, we will provide you with a prospectus supplement, which will set forth the name of each selling security holder, the number of securities beneficially owned by such selling security holder and the number of securities they are offering. The prospectus supplement also will disclose whether any of the selling security holders have held any position or office with, have been employed by or otherwise have had a material relationship with us during the three years prior to the date of the prospectus supplement.
43
Table of Contents
We and any selling security holders may sell the securities described in this prospectus from time to time in one or more of the following ways:
• | to or through underwriters or dealers; |
• | through agents; |
• | directly to one or more purchasers; or |
• | through a combination of any of these methods of sale. |
In addition, we may issue the securities as a dividend or distribution or in a subscription rights offering to our existing security holders. In some cases, we or any selling security holder or any dealers acting for us or on our behalf or a selling security holder may also repurchase the securities and reoffer them to the public by one or more of the methods described above. This prospectus may be used in connection with any offering of our securities through any of these methods or other methods described in the applicable prospectus supplement.
We may distribute securities from time to time in one or more of transactions:
• | at a fixed price or prices, which may be changed; |
• | at prices relating to prevailing market prices at the time of sale; |
• | at varying prices determined at the time of sale; or |
• | at negotiated prices. |
A prospectus supplement with respect to the offered securities will describe the terms of the offering of the securities, including, to the extent applicable:
• | the name or names of any underwriters, dealers or agents; |
• | any public offering price or purchase price of the securities or other consideration therefor, and the proceeds from such sale; |
• | any underwriting discounts or agency fees and other items constituting underwriters’ or agents’ compensation; |
• | any over-allotment options under which underwriters may purchase additional securities from us; |
• | any discounts or concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to dealers; and |
• | any securities exchanges on which the securities may be listed. |
Sale through Underwriters or Dealers
If we or any selling security holder use underwriters for the sale of securities, they will acquire securities for their own account, including through underwriting, purchase, security lending or repurchase agreements with us. The underwriters may resell the securities from time to time in one or more transactions, including negotiated transactions, at a fixed public offering price or at varying prices determined at the time of sale. Underwriters may offer the securities to the public either through underwriting syndicates represented by one or more managing underwriters or directly by one or more firms acting as underwriters. Unless we otherwise state in the applicable prospectus supplement, various conditions will apply to the underwriters’ obligation to purchase securities, and the underwriters will be obligated to purchase all of the securities contemplated in an offering if they purchase any of such securities. Any initial public offering price and any discounts or concessions allowed or re-allowed or paid to dealers may be changed from time to time. The underwriter or underwriters of a particular underwritten offering of securities, or, if an underwriting syndicate is used, the managing underwriter or underwriters, will be set forth on the cover of the applicable prospectus supplement.
44
Table of Contents
If we or any selling security holders use dealers in the sale, unless we otherwise indicate in the applicable prospectus supplement, we or any selling security holder will sell securities to the dealers as principals. The dealers may then resell the securities to the public at varying prices that the dealers may determine at the time of resale.
Sales through Agents
We or any selling security holders may designate agents who agree to use their reasonable efforts to solicit purchases for the period of their appointment or to sell securities on a continuing basis. Any agent involved will be named, and any commissions payable by us to such agent will be set forth, in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Direct Sales
We or any selling security holders may also sell securities directly without using agents, underwriters, or dealers.
Market Making, Stabilization and Other Transactions
Certain persons participating in an offering may engage in over-allotment, stabilizing transactions, short-covering transactions and penalty bids in accordance with Regulation M under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or Exchange Act, that stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the price of the offered securities. If any such activities will occur, they will be described in an applicable prospectus supplement.
Derivative Transactions and Hedging
We, any selling security holder and the underwriters may engage in derivative transactions involving the securities. These derivatives may consist of short sale transactions and other hedging activities. The underwriters may acquire a long or short position in the securities, hold or resell securities acquired and purchase options or futures on the securities and other derivative instruments with returns linked to or related to changes in the price of the securities. In order to facilitate these derivative transactions, we or any selling security holder may enter into security lending or repurchase agreements with the underwriters. The underwriters may effect the derivative transactions through sales of the securities to the public, including short sales, or by lending the securities in order to facilitate short sale transactions by others. The underwriters may also use the securities purchased or borrowed from us or others (or, in the case of derivatives, securities received from us in settlement of those derivatives) to directly or indirectly settle sales of the securities or close out any related open borrowings of the securities.
Loans of Securities
We or any selling security holder may loan or pledge securities to a financial institution or other third party that in turn may sell the securities using this prospectus and an applicable prospectus supplement.
General Information
We or any selling security holders may enter into agreements with underwriters, dealers and agents that entitle them to indemnification against certain civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, or to contribution with respect to payments which the underwriters, dealers or agents may be required to make. Underwriters, dealers and agents may be customers of, may engage in transactions with, or perform services for, us or our subsidiaries in the ordinary course of business.
Underwriters, dealers and agents that participate in the distribution of the securities may be underwriters as defined in the Securities Act, and any discounts or commissions received by them from us and any profit on the
45
Table of Contents
resale of the securities by them may be treated as underwriting discounts and commissions under the Securities Act. Any underwriters, dealers or agents used in the offer or sale of securities will be identified and their compensation described in an applicable prospectus supplement.
46
Table of Contents
We are being represented by Cooley LLP with respect to certain legal matters of United States federal securities and New York state law. Certain legal matters of United States federal securities and New York state law in connection with this offering will be passed upon for the underwriters by a law firm or firms named in the applicable prospectus supplement. The validity of the securities offered in this offering and legal matters as to Cayman Islands law will be passed upon for us by Harney Westwood & Riegels. Certain legal matters as to PRC law will be passed upon for us by JunHe LLP and for the underwriters by a law firm or firms named in the applicable prospectus supplement. Cooley LLP and Harney Westwood & Riegels may rely upon JunHe LLP with respect to legal matters governed by PRC law. Our controlling shareholder Genscript is being represented by Jones Day with respect to certain legal matters as to United States federal securities law, New York State law and Hong Kong law.
47
Table of Contents
The consolidated financial statements of Legend Biotech Corporation appearing in Legend Biotech Corporation’s annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 have been audited by Ernst & Young Hua Ming LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, as set forth in their report thereon, included therein, and incorporated herein by reference. Such consolidated financial statements are incorporated herein by reference in reliance upon such report given on the authority of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing.
The offices of Ernst & Young Hua Ming LLP are located at 50/F, Shanghai World Financial Center, 100 Century Avenue, Pudong New Area, Shanghai 200120, the People’s Republic of China.
48
Table of Contents
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION ABOUT US
We are currently subject to periodic reporting and other informational requirements of the Exchange Act, as applicable to foreign private issuers. Accordingly, we are required to file reports, including annual reports on Form 20-F and other information with the SEC. The SEC maintains a website that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding registrants that file electronically with the SEC. The address is www.sec.gov.
As a foreign private issuer, we are exempt under the Exchange Act from, among other things, the rules prescribing the furnishing and content of proxy statements, and our executive officers, directors and principal shareholders are exempt from the reporting and short-swing profit recovery provisions contained in Section 16 of the Exchange Act. In addition, we are not required under the Exchange Act to file periodic reports and financial statements with the SEC as frequently or as promptly as U.S. companies whose securities are registered under the Exchange Act. However, we intend to furnish the depositary with our annual reports, which will include a review of operations and annual audited consolidated financial statements prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States, and all notices of shareholders’ meetings and other reports and communications that are made generally available to our shareholders. The depositary will make such notices, reports and communications available to holders of ADSs and will mail to all record holders of ADSs the information contained in any notice of a shareholders’ meeting received by the depositary from us if we ask it to.
This prospectus is part of a registration statement we have filed with the SEC. This prospectus omits some information contained in the registration statement in accordance with SEC rules and regulations. You should review the information and exhibits in the registration statement for further information on us and the securities we are offering. Statements in this prospectus concerning any document we filed as an exhibit to the registration statement or that we otherwise filed with the SEC are not intended to be comprehensive and are qualified by reference to these filings. You should review the complete document to evaluate these statements.
49
Table of Contents
INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE
The SEC allows us to “incorporate by reference” the information we file with them. This means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those documents. Each document incorporated by reference is current only as of the date of such document, and the incorporation by reference of such documents shall not create any implication that there has been no change in our affairs since the date thereof or that the information contained therein is current as of any time subsequent to its date. The information incorporated by reference is considered to be a part of this prospectus and should be read with the same care. When we update the information contained in documents that have been incorporated by reference by making future filings with the SEC, the information incorporated by reference in this prospectus is considered to be automatically updated and superseded. In other words, in the case of a conflict or inconsistency between information contained in this prospectus and information incorporated by reference in this prospectus, you should rely on the information contained in the document that was filed later.
We incorporate by reference the documents listed below:
• | our annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 filed with the SEC on April 2, 2021 (File No. 001-39307); |
• | the description of the securities contained in our registration statement on Form 8-A filed on June 2, 2020 (File No. 001-39307) pursuant to Section 12 of the Exchange Act, together with all amendments and reports filed for the purpose of updating that description; |
• | our Reports on Form 6-K furnished to the SEC on April 30, 2021; May 13, 2021; May 18, 2021; May 20, 2021; May 27, 2021; June 1, 2021; June 10, 2021; and June 22, 2021. |
• | any future annual reports on Form 20-F filed with the SEC after the date of this prospectus and prior to the termination of the offering of the securities offered by this prospectus; and |
• | any future current reports on Form 6-K that we furnish to the SEC on or after the date of this prospectus and prior to the termination of the offering of the securities offered by this prospectus that are identified in such reports or in any applicable prospectus supplement as being incorporated by reference in this prospectus. |
Unless expressly incorporated by reference, nothing in this prospectus shall be deemed to incorporate by reference information furnished to, but not filed with, the SEC. Copies of all documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus, other than exhibits to those documents unless such exhibits are specially incorporated by reference in this prospectus, will be provided at no cost to each person, including any beneficial owner, who receives a copy of this prospectus on the written or oral request of that person made to:
Legend Biotech Corporation
2101 Cottontail Lane
Somerset, NJ 08873
(732) 317-5050
You should rely only on the information that we incorporate by reference or provide in this prospectus. We have not authorized anyone to provide you with different information. We are not making any offer of these securities in any jurisdiction 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 of those documents.
50
Table of Contents
7,500,000 American Depositary Shares
Representing 15,000,000 Ordinary Shares
PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT
Joint Bookrunners
Morgan Stanley | J.P. Morgan | Jefferies | Piper Sandler | Barclays |
Co-Manager
BTIG
December 16, 2021