Exhibit 5.2
[Letterhead of Eilenberg Krause & Paul LLP]
January 18, 2008
Tower Semiconductor Ltd.
Ramat Gavriel Industrial Zone
Migdal Haemek
ISRAEL
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as United States counsel to Tower Semiconductor Ltd., a company limited by shares organized under the laws of the State of Israel (the “Company”), in connection with the Registration Statement on Form F-3 (the “Registration Statement”), to be filed by the Company on or about the date hereof with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”). The Registration Statement relates to the proposed offer and sale by the Company from time to time, as set forth in the prospectus contained in the Registration Statement (the “Prospectus”) and as shall be set forth in one or more supplements to the Prospectus (each, a “Prospectus Supplement”), of up to an $30,000,000 aggregate amount of any or all of the following securities (the “Securities”): (i) ordinary shares, par value NIS 1.00 per share, of the Company (the “Ordinary Shares”); (ii) capital notes (the “Capital Notes”), (iii) unsecured debt securities, which may be senior (“Senior Debt Securities”) or subordinated (“Subordinated Debt Securities” and, collectively with the Senior Debt Securities, the “Debt Securities”); (iii) purchase contracts obligating holders to purchase Securities (as hereinafter defined) at a future date or dates (“Purchase Contracts”); (iv) warrants to purchase Ordinary Shares, Capital Notes, Debt Securities and Purchase Contracts of the Company (the “Warrants”); and (v) units comprised of one or more of the Ordinary Shares, Capital Notes, Debt Securities, Purchase Contracts and Warrants in any combination (the “Units”).
Each series of Debt Securities will be issued under an indenture, substantially in the form of the exhibit to the Registration Statement (the ” Indenture”) between the Company and a trustee named in the applicable Prospectus Supplement (each, a “Trustee”). The Purchase Contracts will be issued pursuant to a purchase contract agreement (the “Purchase Contract Agreement”) between the Company and a purchase contract agent (the “Purchase Contract Agent”). The Warrants will be issued under a warrant agreement (the “Warrant Agreement”) between the Company and a warrant agent (the “Warrant Agent”). The Units will be issued under a unit agreement (the “Unit Agreement”) between the Company and a unit agent (the “Unit Agent”).
In connection herewith, we have examined and relied without investigation as to matters of fact upon the Registration Statement and the exhibits thereto, including the form of Indenture, and such certificates, statements and results of inquiries of public officials and officers and representatives of the Company and originals or copies, certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of such other documents, corporate records, certificates and instruments as we have deemed necessary or appropriate to enable us to render the opinions expressed herein. We have also relied, with the permission of Yigal Arnon & Co., upon the legal opinion letter of Yigal Arnon & Co. to the Company dated January 18, 2008 with respect to certain matters concerning the Company and the Securities. We have assumed the genuineness of all signatures on all documents examined by us, the legal competence and capacity of natural persons, the authenticity of documents submitted to us as originals, and the conformity with authentic original documents of all documents submitted to us as copies.
We also have assumed that: (1) at the time of execution, authentication, issuance and delivery of each series of Debt Securities, the related Indenture will be the valid and legally binding obligation of the applicable Trustee, enforceable against such party in accordance with its terms; (2) at the time of execution, issuance and delivery of the Purchase Contracts, the Purchase Contract Agreement will be the valid and legally binding obligation of the Purchase Contract Agent, enforceable against such party in accordance with its terms; (3) at the time of execution, issuance and delivery of any Warrants, the related Warrant Agreement will be the valid and legally binding obligation of the Warrant Agent, enforceable against such party in accordance with its terms; and (4) at the time of the execution, issuance and delivery of the Units, the related Unit Agreement will be the valid and legally binding obligation of the Unit Agent, enforceable against such party in accordance with its terms.
We have assumed further that: (1) at the time of execution, issuance and delivery of the Capital Notes, the Capital Notes will have been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company; (2) at the time of execution, authentication, issuance and delivery of each series of Debt Securities, the related Indenture will have been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and the applicable Trustee; (3) at the time of execution, issuance and delivery of the Purchase Contracts, the Purchase Contract Agreement will have been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and the Purchase Contract Agent; (4) at the time of execution, issuance and delivery of any Warrants, the related Warrant Agreement will have been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and the Warrant Agent; (5) at the time of execution, issuance and delivery of the Units, the Unit Agreement will have been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and the Unit Agent; and (6) at the time of the issuance and sale of any of the Securities, the terms of the Securities, and their issuance and sale, will have been established so as not to violate any applicable law or result in a default under or breach of any agreement or instrument binding upon the Company and so as to comply with any requirement or restriction imposed by any court or governmental body having jurisdiction over the Company.
Based upon the foregoing, in reliance thereon and subject to the assumptions, comments, qualifications, limitations and exceptions stated herein and the effectiveness of the Registration Statement under the Act, we are of the opinion that:
1. With respect to the Capital Notes, assuming the (a) taking of all necessary corporate action to authorize and approve the issuance and terms of any Capital Notes, the terms of the offering thereof and related matters and (b) due execution, issuance and delivery of such Capital Notes upon payment of the consideration therefor provided for in the applicable definitive purchase, underwriting or similar agreement approved by the board of directors, such Capital Notes will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms.
2. With respect to the Debt Securities, assuming the (a) taking of all necessary corporate action to authorize and approve the issuance and terms of any Debt Securities, the terms of the offering thereof and related matters and (b) due execution, authentication, issuance and delivery of such Debt Securities upon payment of the consideration therefor provided for in the applicable definitive purchase, underwriting or similar agreement approved by the board of directors and otherwise in accordance with the provisions of the applicable Indenture, such Debt Securities will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms.
3. With respect to the Purchase Contracts, assuming the (a) taking of all necessary corporate action to authorize and approve the issuance and terms of any Purchase Contracts, the terms of the offering thereof and related matters and (b) due execution, authentication, issuance and delivery of such Purchase Contracts upon payment of the consideration therefor provided for in the applicable definitive purchase, underwriting or similar agreement approved by the board of directors and otherwise in accordance with the provisions of the applicable Purchase Contract Agreement, such Purchase Contracts will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms.
4. With respect to the Warrants, assuming the (a) taking of all necessary corporate action to authorize and approve the issuance and terms of any Warrants, the terms of the offering thereof and related matters and (b) due execution, authentication, issuance and delivery of such Warrants upon payment of the consideration therefor provided for in the applicable definitive purchase, underwriting or similar agreement approved by the board of directors and otherwise in accordance with the provisions of the applicable Warrant Agreement, such Warrants will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms.
5. With respect to the Units, assuming the (a) taking of all necessary corporate action to authorize and approve the issuance and the terms of the Units, the related Unit Agreement and any Securities which are components of the Units, the terms of the offering thereof and related matters and (b) due execution, countersignature (where applicable), authentication, issuance and delivery of the Units and the Securities that are components of such Units in each case upon the payment of the consideration therefor provided for in the applicable definitive purchase, underwriting or similar agreement approved by the board of directors, and otherwise in accordance with the provisions of the applicable (i) Capital Notes, in the case of Capital Notes, (ii) Indenture, in the case of Debt Securities, (iii) Purchase Contract Agreement, in the case of Purchase Contracts and (iv) Warrant Agreement, in the case of Warrants, such Units will be validly issued and will entitle the holders thereof to the rights specified in the Unit Agreements.
In addition to the assumptions, comments, qualifications, limitations and exceptions set forth above, the opinions set forth herein are further limited by, subject to and based upon the following assumptions, comments, qualifications, limitations and exceptions:
(a) Our opinions herein reflect only the application of applicable laws of the State of New York and the federal laws of the United States of America. The opinions set forth herein are made as of the date hereof and are subject to, and may be limited by, future changes in the factual matters set forth herein, and we undertake no duty to advise you of the same. The opinions expressed herein are based upon the law in effect (and published or otherwise generally available) on the date hereof, and we assume no obligation to revise or supplement these opinions should such law be changed by legislative action, judicial decision or otherwise. In rendering our opinions, we have not considered, and hereby disclaim any opinion as to, the application or impact of any laws, cases, decisions, rules or regulations of any other jurisdiction, court or administrative agency.
(b) Our opinions herein are subject to and may be limited by (i) applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, receivership, moratorium and other similar laws affecting or relating to the rights and remedies of creditors generally including, without limitation, laws relative to fraudulent conveyances, preference and equitable subordination, (ii) general principles or equity (regardless of whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law), (iii) an implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, (iv) requirements that a claim with respect to any Securities denominated other than in United States dollars (or a judgment denominated other than in United States dollars with respect to such a claim) be converted into United States dollars at a rate of exchange prevailing on a date determined pursuant to applicable law, and (v) governmental authority to limit, delay or prohibit the making of payments outside the United States or in foreign currency or composite currency.
(c) Our opinions are further subject to the effect of generally applicable rules of law arising from statutes, judicial and administrative decisions, and the rules and regulations of governmental authorities that: (i) limit or affect the enforcement of provisions of a contract that purport to require waiver of the obligations of good faith, fair dealing, diligence and reasonableness; (ii) limit the availability of a remedy under certain circumstances where another remedy has been elected; (iii) limit the enforceability of provisions releasing, exculpating or exempting a party from, or requiring indemnification of a party for, liability for its own action or inaction, to the extent the action or inaction involves negligence, recklessness, willful misconduct or unlawful conduct; (iv) may, where less than all of the contract may be unenforceable, limit the enforceability of the balance of the contract to circumstances in which the unenforceable portion is not an essential part of the agreed exchange and (v) govern and afford judicial discretion regarding the determination of damages and entitlement to attorneys’ fees.
(d) We express no opinion as to the enforceability of any provision in any Capital Note, Indenture, Purchase Contract Agreement, Warrant Agreement, Unit Agreement or other agreement purporting or attempting to (A) confer exclusive jurisdiction and/or venue upon certain courts or otherwise waive the defenses of forum non conveniens or improper venue, (B) confer subject matter jurisdiction on a court not having independent grounds therefor, (C) modify or waive the requirements for effective service of process for any action that may be brought, (D) waive the right of the Company or any other person to a trial by jury, (E) provide that remedies are cumulative or that decisions by a party are conclusive, or (F) modify or waive the rights to notice, legal defenses, statutes of limitations or other benefits that cannot be waived under applicable law.
(e) We express no opinion as to the enforceability of any rights to indemnification or contribution provided for in any Capital Note, Indenture, Purchase Contract Agreement, Warrant Agreement, Unit Agreement or other agreement which are violative of public policy underlying any law, rule or regulation (including any federal or state securities law, rule or regulation) or the legality of such rights.
(f) You have informed us that you intend to issue the Securities from time to time on a delayed or continuous basis, and this opinion is limited to the laws, including the rules and regulations, as in effect on the date hereof. We understand that prior to issuing any Securities you will afford us an opportunity to review the operative documents pursuant to which such Securities are to be issued (including the applicable prospectus supplement) and will file such supplement or amendment to this opinion (if any) as we may reasonably consider necessary or appropriate by reason of the terms of such Securities.
We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as Exhibit 5 to the Registration Statement and to the use of our name under the caption “Legal Matters” in the Prospectus. We also consent to your filing copies of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement with agencies of such states as you deem necessary in the course of complying with the laws of such states regarding the offering and sale of the Securities. In giving such consent, we do not thereby concede that we are within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Act or the Rules and Regulations of the Commission thereunder.
Very truly yours, Eilenberg Krause & Paul LLP |