F-3
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As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 29, 2018

Registration No. 333-            

 

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM F-3

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

 

MATERIALISE NV

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

Kingdom of Belgium     Not Applicable

(State or other jurisdiction of

incorporation or organization)

   

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification Number)

 

 

Technologielaan 15

3001 Leuven

Belgium

+32 (16) 39 66 11

(Address and telephone number of Registrant’s principal executive offices)

 

 

Materialise USA, LLC

44650 Helm Ct.

Plymouth, Michigan 48170

Attention: Chief Executive Officer

(734) 259-6445

(Name, address, and telephone number of agent for service)

 

 

Copies to:

Per B. Chilstrom, Esq. Clifford Chance LLP

10 Upper Bank Street

London E14 5JJ

England

+44-20-7006-1000

 

 

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: As soon as practicable after the effective date of this registration statement.

If only securities being registered on this Form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box.  ☐

If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, check the following box.  ☒

If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  ☐

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  ☐

If this Form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction I.C. or a post-effective amendment thereto that shall become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act, check the following box.  ☐


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If this Form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to General Instruction I.C. filed to register additional securities or additional classes of securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box.  ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933.

Emerging growth company  ☒

If an emerging growth company that prepares its financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards† provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act.  ☐

 

The term “new or revised financial accounting standard” refers to any update issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board to its Accounting Standards Codification after April 5, 2012.

 

 

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

 

                 

Title of each class of

securities to be registered

  Amount to be
registered(1)
  Proposed maximum
aggregate price
per unit(2)
  Proposed maximum
aggregate
offering price
  Amount of
registration fee(3)

Ordinary Shares, no nominal value per share(4)(5)

  —     —     —     —  

Preference Shares(4)(6)

  —     —     —     —  

Warrants(7)

  —     —     —     —  

Rights

  —     —     —     —  

Units(8)

  —     —     —     —  

Debt Securities

  —     —     —     —  

Total(9)

  $250,000,000   —     $250,000,000   $31,125

 

 

(1) There are being registered hereunder: such indeterminate number of ordinary shares; such indeterminate number of preference shares; such indeterminate number of warrants to purchase ordinary shares, preference shares or debt securities; such indeterminate number of rights to purchase ordinary shares or preference shares; such indeterminate number of units; and such indeterminate principal amount of debt securities as shall have an aggregate initial offering price not to exceed $250,000,000. If any debt securities are issued at an original issue discount, then the offering price of such debt securities shall be in such greater principal amount as shall result in an aggregate initial offering price not to exceed $250,000,000, less the aggregate dollar amount of all securities previously issued hereunder. Any securities registered hereunder may be sold separately or as units with other securities registered hereunder. The proposed maximum initial offering price per unit will be determined, from time to time, by the Registrant in connection with the issuance by the Registrant of the securities registered hereunder. The securities registered also include such indeterminate number of ordinary shares and preference shares as may be issued upon conversion or exchange of convertible or exchangeable securities being registered hereunder or pursuant to the antidilution provisions of any such securities. In addition, pursuant to Rule 416 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, the securities being registered hereunder include such indeterminate number of securities as may be issuable with respect to the securities being registered hereunder as a result of share splits, share dividends or similar transactions.
(2) The proposed maximum aggregate offering price per class of security will be determined from time to time by the Registrant in connection with the issuance by the Registrant of the securities registered hereunder and is not specified as to each class of security pursuant to General Instruction II.C of Form F-3 under the Securities Act.
(3) Calculated pursuant to Rule 457(o) under the Securities Act based on the proposed maximum aggregate offering price.
(4) In addition to any securities that may be registered hereunder, the Registrant is also registering an indeterminate number of ordinary shares and preference shares as may be issued upon conversion or exercise of the securities issued directly hereunder. No separate consideration will be received for any ordinary shares and preference shares so issued upon conversion or exercise.
(5) The ordinary shares registered hereby may be represented by the Registrant’s American Depositary Shares, or ordinary ADSs, each of which represents one ordinary share. Ordinary ADSs issuable upon deposit of the ordinary shares registered hereby have been or will be registered under a separate registration statement on Form F-6.
(6) The preference shares registered hereby may be represented by the Registrant’s American Depositary Shares, or Preference ADSs, each of which represent a specified number of preference shares. Preference ADSs issuable upon deposit of the preference shares registered hereby will be registered under a separate registration statement on Form F-6.
(7) Warrants may be exercised to purchase any of the other securities registered hereby. Includes warrants that may be purchased by underwriters to cover over-allotments, if any.
(8) The offered securities may be sold separately or together as units.
(9) The securities registered hereunder may be sold separately or in a combination with other securities registered hereby.

 

 

The Registrant hereby amends this registration statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this registration statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or until the registration statement shall become effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange Commission acting pursuant to said Section 8(a) may determine.

 

 

 


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The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.

 

Subject to completion, dated June 29, 2018

$250,000,000

Ordinary Shares

Ordinary Shares in the Form of American Depositary Shares

Preference Shares

Preference Shares in the Form of American Depositary Shares

Warrants

Rights

Units

Debt Securities

 

 

LOGO

Materialise NV

 

 

By this prospectus, we may offer and sell from time to time, in one or more offerings, together or separately, ordinary shares; ordinary shares in the form of American Depositary Shares, or ADSs; preference shares; preference shares in the form of ADSs; warrants; rights; units; debt securities or any combination thereof as described in this prospectus. Any ADS will represent a specified number of ordinary shares or preference shares. The preference shares may be convertible into or exchangeable for ordinary shares, the warrants may be exercisable for ordinary shares, preference shares or debt securities, the rights may be exercisable for ordinary shares or preference shares and the debt securities may be convertible into or exchangeable for ordinary shares or preference shares or other debt securities. You should carefully read this prospectus, any prospectus supplement and any free writing prospectus, as well as any documents incorporated in any of the foregoing by reference, before you invest in our securities. This prospectus may not be used to sell our securities unless accompanied by a prospectus supplement. A prospectus supplement or any related free writing prospectus may also add to, update, supplement or clarify information contained in this prospectus.

ADSs, each representing one of our ordinary shares, are listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “MTLS.” The last reported sale price of the ADSs on the NASDAQ Global Select Market on June 28, 2018 was $12.68 per ADS.

We may offer and sell our securities to or through one or more agents, underwriters, dealers or other third parties or directly to one or more purchasers on a continuous or delayed basis. If agents, underwriters or dealers are used to sell our securities, we will name them and describe their compensation in a prospectus supplement. The price to the public of our securities and the net proceeds we expect to receive from the sale of such securities will also be set forth in a prospectus supplement.

 

 

Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. Before buying any of our securities, you should carefully read the discussion of material risks of investing in our securities. Please see the section entitled “Risk Factors” beginning on page 4 of this prospectus, as well as the section entitled “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors” beginning on page 9 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2017, which report is incorporated by reference in this prospectus.

We are an “emerging growth company” as that term is defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 and, as such, have elected to comply with certain reduced public company reporting requirements for this prospectus and future filings.

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

 

The date of this prospectus is                 , 2018.


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

     Page  

About this Prospectus

     1  

About the Company

     3  

Risk Factors

     4  

Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

     5  

Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges

     7  

Use of Proceeds

     8  

Description of Share Capital

     9  

Description of Securities

     19  

Plan of Distribution

     36  

Legal Matters

     39  

Experts

     40  

Service of Process and Enforcement of Civil Liabilities

     41  

Where You Can Find More Information

     42  

Incorporation of Certain Information by Reference

     43  

 

 

We are responsible for the information contained and incorporated by reference in this prospectus, in any accompanying prospectus supplement, and in any related free writing prospectus we prepare or authorize. We have not authorized anyone to give you any other information, and we take no responsibility for any other information that others may give you. If you are in a jurisdiction where offers to sell, or solicitations of offers to purchase, the securities offered by this documentation are unlawful, or if you are a person to whom it is unlawful to direct these types of activities, then the offer presented in this document does not extend to you. The information contained in this document speaks only as of the date of this document, unless the information specifically indicates that another date applies. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since those dates.

 

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ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

This prospectus is part of a shelf registration statement that we have filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC.

Under this shelf registration, we may offer our ordinary shares or preference shares, ordinary shares or preference shares in the form of ADSs, various series of warrants to purchase ordinary shares, preference shares or debt securities, rights to purchase ordinary shares or preference shares, units, debt securities or any combination thereof, from time to time in one or more offerings. This prospectus only provides you with a general description of the securities that we may offer. Each time we offer a type or series of securities under this prospectus, we will provide a prospectus supplement that will contain more specific information about the specific terms of the offering. If any such securities are to be listed or quoted on a securities exchange or quotation system, the applicable prospectus supplement will say so. We may also authorize one or more free writing prospectuses to be provided to you that may contain material information relating to these offerings. This prospectus may not be used to sell our securities unless accompanied by a prospectus supplement. Each such prospectus supplement and any free writing prospectus that we may authorize to be provided to you may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus or in documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus. We urge you to carefully read this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus, together with the information incorporated herein by reference as described under the headings “Where You Can Find More Information” and “Incorporation by Reference” before you invest in our securities.

We have not authorized anyone to provide you with additional information or information different from that contained in or incorporated by reference in this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus filed with the SEC. We take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurances as to the reliability of, any information not contained in this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement or any related free writing prospectus that we may authorize to be provided to you. This prospectus is an offer to sell only the securities offered hereby, but only under circumstances and in jurisdictions where offers and sales of the securities are legally permitted. The information contained in this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement or any related free writing prospectus we file is accurate only as of the date on the front of the document and that any information incorporated by reference is accurate only as of the date of the document incorporated by reference, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement or any related free writing prospectus, or any sale of a security. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since that date. We will update this prospectus to the extent required by law.

This prospectus contains summaries of certain provisions contained in some of the documents described herein, but reference is made to the actual documents for complete information. All of the summaries are qualified in their entirety by the actual documents. Copies of some of the documents referred to herein have been filed, will be filed or will be incorporated by reference as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, and you may obtain copies of those documents as described below under the heading “Where You Can Find More Information.”

We further note that the representations, warranties and covenants made by us in any agreement that is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part were made solely for the benefit of the parties to such agreement, including, in some cases, for the purpose of allocating risk among the parties to such agreement rather than establishing matters of fact. The information in the exhibits should not be read alone and instead should be read in conjunction with the information in this prospectus and other filings that we make with the SEC. Moreover, such representations, warranties or covenants were accurate only as of the date they were made. Accordingly, such representations, warranties and covenants should not be relied on as accurately representing the current state of our affairs.

 

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All references in this prospectus to “U.S. dollars” or “$” are to the legal currency of the United States and all references to “€” or “euro” are to the currency introduced at the start of the third stage of the European economic and monetary union pursuant to the treaty establishing the European Community, as amended.

Certain figures included in this prospectus have been rounded for ease of presentation. Percentage figures included in this prospectus have not in all cases been calculated on the basis of such rounded figures but on the basis of such amounts prior to rounding. For this reason, percentage amounts in this prospectus may vary slightly from those obtained by performing the same calculations using the figures in our consolidated financial statements. Certain other amounts that appear in this prospectus may similarly not sum due to rounding.

Unless otherwise mentioned or unless the context requires otherwise, throughout this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus, the words “Materialise,” “we,” “us,” “our,” “the company,” “our company” or similar references refer to Materialise NV and its subsidiaries; and the term “securities” refers collectively to our ordinary shares, ordinary shares in the form of ADSs, preference shares, preference shares in the form of ADSs, warrants to purchase ordinary shares, preference shares or debt securities, rights to purchase ordinary shares or preference shares, units, debt securities, or any combination of the foregoing securities.

 

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ABOUT THE COMPANY

Our Mission

Our mission is to make a significant and lasting contribution to a better and healthier world through innovative applications of additive manufacturing using our software and hardware infrastructure.

Our Company

We are a leading provider of additive manufacturing and medical software and of sophisticated 3D printing services. Our customers are active in a wide variety of industries, including healthcare, automotive, aerospace, art and design and consumer products. Since our founding in 1990 by our Chief Executive Officer, Wilfried Vancraen, we have consistently focused on developing innovative applications of additive manufacturing technologies. We believe our proprietary software platforms, which enable and enhance the functionality of 3D printers and of 3D printing operations, have become a market standard for professional 3D printing. We believe that our commitment to enabling 3D printing technologies has significantly supported and accelerated the acceptance and proliferation of additive manufacturing in the industrial and medical sectors and will continue to play an instrumental role as the industry evolves. In the healthcare sector, we bring software and medical devices to the market. Our medical software products include surgical planning tools that allow medical professionals to make 3D printable designs of the human anatomy. Our medical devices include surgical guides as well as customized medical implants. In our 3D printing service centers, including what we believe to be the world’s largest single-site additive manufacturing service center in Leuven, Belgium, we print medical devices, prototypes, production parts, and consumer products.

ADSs, each representing one ordinary share, have been listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “MTLS” since June 25, 2014.

We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012. We will remain an emerging growth company until the earliest of (i) the last day of the fiscal year following the fifth anniversary of the completion of our initial public offering, (ii) the last day of the first fiscal year in which our annual gross revenue exceeds $1.07 billion, (iii) December 31 of the fiscal year that we become a “large accelerated filer” as defined in Rule 12b-2 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, or the Exchange Act, which would occur if the market value of our common equity held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the last business day of our most recently completed second fiscal quarter or (iv) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt during the preceding three-year period.

Company Information

Our legal and commercial name is Materialise NV. We are a limited liability company incorporated in the form of a naamloze vennootschap / société anonyme under Belgian law. We are registered with the Register of Legal Entities of Leuven under the number 0441.131.254. We were incorporated in Belgium on June 28, 1990 for an unlimited duration.

Our principal executive and registered offices are located at Technologielaan 15, 3001 Leuven, Belgium and our telephone number is +32 (16) 39 66 11. Our agent for service of process in the United States is Materialise USA, LLC, located at 44650 Helm Ct., Plymouth, Michigan 48170, telephone number (734) 259-6445. Our internet website is www.materialise.com. The information contained on, or accessible through, our website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus and should not be considered a part of this prospectus or any supplement to this prospectus.

 

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RISK FACTORS

Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risks described in “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2017, which is incorporated herein by reference, and other documents we file with the SEC that are incorporated by reference in this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement, before making an investment decision. Each of the risks described could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations, or the trading price of our securities. In such case, you could lose all or a portion of your original investment. See “Where You Can Find More Information.”

 

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SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This prospectus contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, and Section 21E of the Exchange Act concerning our business, operations and financial performance and condition as well as our plans, objectives and expectations for our business operations and financial performance and condition. Any statements that are not of historical facts may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. You can identify these forward-looking statements by words such as “believes,” “estimates,” “anticipates,” “expects,” “plans,” “intends,” “may,” “could,” “might,” “will,” “should,” “aims,” or other similar expressions that convey uncertainty of future events or outcomes. Forward-looking statements appear in a number of places throughout this prospectus and include statements regarding our intentions, beliefs, assumptions, projections, outlook, analyses or current expectations concerning, among other things, our intellectual property position, research and development projects, acquisitions, results of operations, cash needs, spending of the remaining net proceeds from our initial public offering, capital expenditures, financial condition, liquidity, prospects, growth and strategies, regulatory approvals and clearances, the markets and industry in which we operate and the trends and competition that may affect the markets, industry or us.

By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties because they relate to events, competitive dynamics and industry change, and depend on economic circumstances that may or may not occur in the future or may occur on longer or shorter timelines than anticipated. Although we believe that we have a reasonable basis for each forward-looking statement contained in this prospectus, we caution you that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that are in some cases beyond our control. All of our forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause our actual results to differ materially from our expectations.

Actual results could differ materially from our forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including, without limitation, risks related to:

 

    our ability to enhance and adapt our software, products and services to meet changing technology and customer needs;

 

    fluctuations in our revenue and results of operations;

 

    changes in volumes and patterns of customer electricity usage;

 

    our ability to operate in a highly competitive and rapidly changing industry;

 

    our ability to adequately increase demand for our products and services;

 

    our collaborations, in-licensing arrangements, joint ventures, strategic alliances or partnerships with third-parties;

 

    our ability to integrate acquired businesses or technologies effectively;

 

    our dependence upon sales to certain industries;

 

    our relationships with suppliers;

 

    our ability to attract and retain senior management and other key employees;

 

    any disruptions to our service center operations, including by accidents, natural disasters or otherwise;

 

    our ability to raise additional capital on attractive terms, or at all, if needed to meet our growth strategy;

 

    our ability to adequately protect our intellectual property and proprietary technology;

 

    our international operations;

 

    our ability to comply with applicable governmental laws and regulations to which our products, services and operations are subject; and

 

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    the other factors listed in the “Risk Factors” sections of this prospectus and our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2017.

Any forward-looking statements that we make in this prospectus speak only as of the date of such statement, and we undertake no obligation to update such statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this prospectus or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. Comparisons of results for current and any prior periods are not intended to express any future trends or indications of future performance, unless expressed as such, and should only be viewed as historical data. You should, however, review the factors and risks we describe in the reports we will file from time to time with the SEC after the date of this prospectus. See “Where You Can Find More Information.”

You should also read carefully the factors described in the “Risk Factors” sections of this prospectus and our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2017 and in the other documents that we file with the SEC after the date of this prospectus that are incorporated by reference into this prospectus to better understand the risks and uncertainties inherent in our business and underlying any forward-looking statements. As a result of these factors, we cannot assure you that the forward-looking statements in this prospectus 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 timeframe, or at all.

 

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RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES

The following table sets forth our historical consolidated ratio of earnings to fixed charges for the periods shown. As of the date of this prospectus, we have no preference shares outstanding and we did not declare or pay any dividends on preference shares for the periods indicated. Therefore, the ratios of earnings to combined fixed charges and preference share dividends are the same as the ratios of earnings to fixed charges presented below:

 

     Year Ended December 31,
     2017   2016   2015   2014    2013

Ratio of earnings to fixed charges

       *       *       *   3.33x    4.35x

 

* Due to the losses in the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, the ratio coverage was less than 1:1. We would have needed to generate additional earnings of €0.7 million, €0.3 million and €2.8 million in the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively, in order to achieve a ratio coverage of 1:1.

 

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USE OF PROCEEDS

Except as described in any prospectus supplement or in any related free writing prospectus that we may authorize to be provided to you, the net proceeds received by us from our sale of the securities described in this prospectus will be added to our general funds and will be used for our general corporate purposes. From time to time, we may engage in additional public or private financings of a character and amount which we may deem appropriate.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF SHARE CAPITAL

The following description is a summary of certain information relating to our share capital, certain provisions of our articles of association and the Belgian Company Code. Because this description is a summary, it may not contain all information which is important to you. Accordingly, this description is qualified entirely by references to our amended and restated articles of association. Copies of our amended and restated articles of association are publicly available as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.

The following description includes comparisons of certain provisions of our articles of association and the Belgian Company Code applicable to us and the Delaware General Corporation Law, or the DGCL, the law under which many publicly listed companies in the United States are incorporated. Because such statements are summaries, they do not address all aspects of Belgian law that may be relevant to us and our shareholders or all aspects of Delaware law which may differ from Belgian law, and are not intended to be a complete discussion of the respective rights.

Share Capital

Share Capital and Shares

Our share capital is represented by registered ordinary shares with no nominal but par value of €0.058 (rounded). Our share capital is fully paid-up. There are no separate classes of shares.

On June 30, 2014, we sold 8,000,000 ADSs, each representing one ordinary share, in our initial public offering at a price of $12.00 per ADS. In connection with the closing of our initial public offering, we converted our outstanding Class A ordinary shares, Class B ordinary shares and Class C ordinary shares into ordinary shares and effected a stock split of our outstanding ordinary shares, whereby each ordinary share was converted into four ordinary shares. The number of ordinary shares and number of shares issuable upon exercise of our outstanding warrants and conversion of our outstanding convertible bonds are presented herein on the basis of the number after this stock split.

As of December 31, 2017, our issued and paid-up share capital amounted to €2,729,245.25 represented by 47,325,438 registered ordinary shares with no nominal but par value of €0.058 (rounded), each representing an identical fraction of our share capital.

The changes in our share capital since January 1, 2015 are described below:

 

Date

  Transaction   Number of shares
issued
  Issue price
per share
    Amount of
capital
increase
    Issue
premium
    Share capital
after
the transaction
    Aggregate
number of
shares
after the
transaction
 

March 5, 2015

  Correction of deed
of November 27,
2014
  —       —       4,336.77     69,359.23       2,718,971.60       47,147,256  

March 5, 2015

  Issuance of
ordinary shares
  80,182 ordinary
shares
  7.22     4,626.50     574,290.50     2,723,598.10       47,227,438  

November 20, 2015

  Exercise of
warrants
  98,000 ordinary
shares
  0.98     5,647.15     90,392.85     2,729,245.25       47,325,438  

March 30, 2018

  Exercise of
warrants
  30,300 ordinary
shares

72,556 ordinary
shares

 

2.135

1.965

 

 

  5,931.68     201,331.37     2,735,177.03       47,428,294  

All of the share issuances listed above were for cash consideration.

 

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The following table shows the reconciliation of the number of ordinary shares outstanding as of December 31, 2016 and 2017:

 

Issued capital

   Share capital (€)      Number of shares  

As of December 31, 2016

     2,729,245.25        47,325,438  

Changes during 2017

     —          —    

As of December 31, 2017

     2,729,245.25        47,325,438  

As of December 31, 2017, neither we nor any of our subsidiaries held any of our own shares.

Other Outstanding Securities

In addition to the ordinary shares already outstanding, we have granted warrants (warrants / droits de souscription) and convertible bonds (converteerbare obligaties / obligations convertibles) which upon exercise or conversion will lead to an increase in the number of our outstanding shares.

Warrants

There were outstanding issued and granted warrants to subscribe for an aggregate of 1,458,360 ordinary shares as of December 31, 2017. A total of 1,071,000 warrants, to subscribe for an aggregate of 1,071,000 ordinary shares, were issued but not yet granted as of December 31, 2017.

These warrants have been issued within the context of three stock option plans, the 2013 Warrant Plan, the 2014 Warrant Plan and the 2015 Warrant Plan, for our employees and consultants (including members of our senior management team). The decision to grant warrants and to determine the beneficiaries is taken by our board of directors (as the case may be, in accordance with article 523 of the Belgian Company Code).

By an extraordinary shareholders’ meeting held on November 28, 2013, we issued 120,000 warrants pursuant to the 2013 Warrant Plan. 75,274 of these warrants were effectively granted in October 2013 and 41,700 warrants were granted to certain employees and to certain members of our board of directors and senior management on November 28, 2013. As of December 31, 2017, 80,160 issued and granted warrants under the 2013 Warrant Plan were still outstanding.

By an extraordinary shareholders’ meeting held on April 23, 2014, we agreed to issue, with effect on the closing of our initial public offering, 1,200,000 new warrants, pursuant to the 2014 Warrant Plan, 979,898 of which were granted in July 2014 to certain of our employees and members of our board of directors and senior management, 36,151 of which were granted to certain employees in November 2014, and 18,180 of which were granted to a member of our senior management in July 2015. As of December 31, 2017, 671,503 issued and granted warrants were still outstanding.

On December 18, 2015, our board of directors adopted the 2015 Warrant Plan and issued 1,400,000 warrants, which warrants are exercisable for 1,400,000 new ordinary shares, pursuant to the powers granted to it by the extraordinary general meeting of shareholders held on April 23, 2014. A total of 350,000 warrants were issued and granted in July 2016. As of December 31, 2017, 329,000 issued and granted warrants were still outstanding.

Each warrant under the 2013 Warrant Plan gives the right to subscribe for four newly issued ordinary shares. Each warrant under the 2014 Warrant Plan and the 2015 Warrant Plan gives the right to subscribe for one newly issued ordinary share. Shares subscribed for upon the exercise of the warrants will be registered ordinary shares of our company. Holders of such shares will have the same rights as any other registered shareholder.

The 75,274 warrants granted on October 15, 2013 under the 2013 Warrant Plan are exercisable at €1.97 (rounded) per share. The 41,700 warrants granted on November 28, 2013 under the 2013 Warrant Plan are

 

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exercisable at €2.14 (rounded) per share. To determine each exercise price, the board of directors used the same valuation method (each time with up-to-date figures) which is the average of (i) the DCF method and (ii) a peer group analysis of the valuation of listed companies active in similar markets, taking into account an illiquidity discount.

The 979,898 warrants granted in July 2014, the 36,151 warrants granted in November 2014, and the 18,180 warrants granted in July 2015 under the 2014 Warrant Plan are exercisable at €8.81 per share, which was the euro-equivalent of the ADSs offered in our initial public offering.

The 350,000 warrants granted under the 2015 Warrant Plan are exercisable at €6.45 per share. The exercise price was determined on the basis of the average closing sale prices of the ADSs on the NASDAQ Global Select Market during the 30-day period preceding the day of the offer.

The warrants have been issued in accordance with article 43, §3, 2° of the Belgian Law of March 26, 1999. The warrants are not transferable, except in the event of death of the warrant holder to the beneficiary appointed by the warrant holder.

Warrants granted under the 2013 Warrant Plan or the 2014 Warrant Plan

The warrants under the 2013 Warrant Plan and the 2014 Warrant Plan vest in consecutive portions of 25% of the total amount of the warrants issued to a beneficiary on a yearly basis as from the fourth year after the year the warrants have been effectively granted, on the condition that the warrant holder is on October 1 of the relevant year still an employee, consultant or board member of our company or our affiliates. Vested warrants can be exercised in the 30-day period following the date of vesting, i.e., in the month of October of each year. We allow vested warrants that have not been exercised during the first exercise period to be exercised in subsequent exercise periods. The warrants expire ten years after their respective issuance.

In the event of termination of an employment agreement for serious or just cause, as applicable, a consultancy agreement for breach of contract, or a board mandate for serious or just cause, as applicable, the warrants held by the employee, consultant or board member will terminate automatically.

In the event of termination of an employment agreement, consultancy agreement or board mandate for statutory retirement or death, vested warrants will remain exercisable in accordance with the terms of the relevant warrant plan.

In the event of termination of an employment agreement, consultancy agreement or board mandate for any other reason, the vested warrants held by the employee, consultant or board member can be exercised during the first upcoming exercise period. Any warrant of such employee, consultant or board member that is not exercised during the first upcoming exercise period will terminate automatically.

The holders of warrants issued under the 2013 Warrant Plan and the 2014 Warrant Plan have granted us a call option on the shares acquired upon exercise of the warrants. Such call option is exercisable within six months from the termination of an employment agreement, consultancy agreement or board mandate (or, if later, within six months from the exercise of the warrants taking place after the termination of such employment agreement, consultancy agreement or board mandate).

Warrants granted under the 2015 Warrant Plan

The warrants under the 2015 Warrant Plan vest in consecutive portions of 10%, 20%, 30% and 40% of the total amount of the warrants issued to a beneficiary on a yearly basis as from the second anniversary of the date that the warrants have been effectively granted, on the condition that the warrant holder is still an employee, consultant or board member of our company or our affiliates. Vested warrants can be exercised during (i) a four-

 

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week period following the announcement of the results of the fourth quarter of the previous fiscal year and the second quarter of the then current fiscal year, or (ii) if no quarterly results are published, during the months of March and September of each year. The 350,000 warrants that have been granted in July 2016 cannot be exercised prior to the end of the third calendar year following the calendar year of the grant. We allow vested warrants that have not been exercised during the first exercise period to be exercised in subsequent exercise periods. The warrants expire ten years after their respective issuance.

In the event of termination of an employment agreement, consultant agreement or board mandate, the vested warrants held by the employee, consultant or board member can be exercised during the first or second upcoming exercise period. Any warrant of such employee, consultant or board member that is not exercised during the first upcoming exercise period will terminate automatically.

In the event of termination of an employment agreement, consultancy agreement or board mandate for statutory retirement or death, the vested warrants will remain exercisable in accordance with the terms of the 2015 Warrant Plan.

The table below provides an overview of all of the outstanding granted warrants under the 2013 Warrant Plan, the 2014 Warrant Plan and the 2015 Warrant Plan as of May 31, 2018:

 

Number of

outstanding

granted

warrants

 

Plan

 

Date
granted

 

Exercise period

  Expiration     Number of
Shares into
which
warrants can
be exercised
    Exercise
price per
share
 

54,635

  2013 Warrant Plan   October 2013   For vested warrants: October 2017—October 2018—October 2019—October 2020     2023       218,540           1.97  

25,150

  2013 Warrant Plan   November 2013   For vested warrants: October 2017—October 2018—October 2019—October 2020     2023       100,600     2.14  

646,851

  2014 Warrant Plan   July 2014, November 2014 and July 2015  

For vested warrants granted in 2014: October 2018—October 2019—October 2020—October 2021—October 2022— October 2023—October 2024

 

For vested warrants granted in 2015: October 2019—October 2020—October 2021—October 2022—October 2023—October 2024

    2024       646,851     8.81  

327,000

  2015 Warrant Plan   July 2016   For vested warrants: as of January 1, 2020 until 2025: during a four-week period following the announcement of the results of the fourth quarter of the previous fiscal year and during a four-week period following the announcement of the results of the second quarter of the then-current fiscal year, or if no quarterly results are published, during March and September of each year     2025       327,000     6.45  

In addition, we issued 215,688 stock appreciation rights, or SARs, in July 2014 to certain employees in certain countries due to legal requirements, with similar terms and conditions as the 2014 Warrant Plan except that the SARs will be settled in cash. The exercise price per SAR is €8.81. For additional information see Note 14 to our audited consolidated financial statements for year ended December 31, 2017, which are incorporated by reference in this prospectus.

 

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Convertible bonds

The total number of outstanding convertible bonds (where each convertible bond entitles the holder to subscribe to approximately 508.91 new shares (rounded upwards)) was 1,000 as of December 31, 2017.

By meeting of our board of directors on October 28, 2013, acting in the framework of the authorized capital (toegestaan kapitaal / capital autorisé), a convertible bond loan for an amount of €1,000,000 was issued to and subscribed by our Executive Chairman and his spouse, represented by 1,000 convertible bonds each having a nominal value of €1,000. These convertible bonds have been issued in connection with the management services agreement between us and our Executive Chairman.

The convertible bond loan has a term of seven years from the issue date. The applicable annual interest rate is 3.7%.

The convertible bonds can be converted into shares at the request of the bond holders at any time from January 1, 2017 until the end of the term of the convertible bond loan. The conversion price of the convertible bonds amounts to €1.97 per share. The number of new shares to be issued upon conversion of the convertible bonds will be calculated on the basis of a ratio of 508.91 new shares (rounded upwards) for each convertible bond, and a maximum of 508,904 new ordinary shares may be issued.

The subscribers of the convertible bonds have granted a call option to Ailanthus NV with respect to the convertible bonds. Such call option is exercisable during a period of four months from (a) the date of notice by the member of our senior management of termination of his management services agreement, the date of termination of such management services agreement for death or the date of suspension of such management services agreement for at least one year for disability, (b) the first anniversary of any such date and (c) the second anniversary of any such date.

The convertible bonds are not transferable, except in case of death of the bond holders to their heirs or with our prior approval.

The table below provides an overview of all of the convertible bonds outstanding under our convertible bond loan as of December 31, 2017:

 

Number of convertible bonds
outstanding

   Date granted    Conversion period    Conversion
price per share
     Number of shares into
which bonds can be
converted
 

1,000

   October 28, 2013    From January 1, 2017 until
October 27, 2020
   1.97        508,904  

Articles of Association and Other Share Information

Corporate Profile

We are a limited liability company incorporated in the form of a naamloze vennootschap / société anonyme under Belgian law. We are registered with the register of legal entities of Leuven under the registration number 0441.131.254. Our registered office and our headquarters are located at Technologielaan 15, 3001 Leuven (Heverlee), Belgium (telephone number +32 (0) 16 39 66 11). We were incorporated on June 28, 1990 for an unlimited duration. Our fiscal year runs from January 1 through December 31.

Corporate Purpose

According to our amended and restated articles of association, our corporate purpose is: research, development and marketing of additive manufacturing and applied technologies, and all services, engineering and holding activities relating thereto, in the broadest meaning.

 

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We act for our own account, in consignation, on commission, as intermediary or representative.

Our corporate purpose is also:

 

    To purchase, sell, trade, construct, renovate, valorize, refurbish, exploit, lease, sublease, manage, maintain, parcel, horizontally divide, place under mandatory co-ownership, lease, prospect and promote in any way any immovable goods or immovable rights in real property;

 

    To invest, subscribe, acquire, place, sell, purchase, trade any movable value, issued by Belgian or foreign enterprises, whether or not as trade companies, administration offices, institutions or associations, and manage such investments and participations; and

 

    To provide advisory, management and other services to any affiliated company or any other entity with which a participation relationship exists, in its capacity of director, liquidator or otherwise, manage or control such companies.

We may, by contribution of cash or in kind, merger, subscription, participation, financial intervention or any other way, participate in any existing or to be established company or enterprise, in Belgium or abroad, the corporate object of which is identical, similar or related to our corporate purpose, or which promotes our corporate purpose.

Generally, we can do any act of a civil or commercial, movable, immovable or industrial nature that is directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, connected to our corporate purpose.

Board of Directors

Belgian law does not specifically regulate the ability of directors to borrow money from our company.

Article 523 of the Belgian Company Code provides that if one of our directors directly or indirectly has a personal financial interest that conflicts with a decision or transaction that falls within the powers of our board of directors, the director concerned must inform our other directors before our board of directors makes any decision on such transaction. The statutory auditor must also be notified. The director may neither participate in the deliberation nor vote on the conflicting decision or transaction. An excerpt from the minutes of the meeting of our board of directors that sets forth the financial impact of the matter on us and justifies the decision of our board of directors must be published in our annual report. The statutory auditors’ report to the annual accounts must contain a description of the financial impact on us of each of the decisions of our board of directors where director conflicts arise.

The DGCL generally permits transactions involving a Delaware corporation and an interested director of that corporation if (i) the material facts as to the director’s relationship or interest and as to the transaction are disclosed and a majority of disinterested directors consent, (ii) the material facts are disclosed as to the director’s relationship or interest and a majority of shares entitled to vote thereon consent or (iii) the transaction is fair to the corporation at the time it is authorized by the board of directors, a committee of the board of directors or the stockholders.

We rely on a provision in the Listing Rules of the NASDAQ Stock Market that allows us to follow Belgian corporate law with respect to certain aspects of corporate governance. This allows us to continue following certain corporate governance practices that differ in significant respects from the corporate governance requirements applicable to U.S. companies listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market. In particular, the Listing Rules of the NASDAQ Stock Market require a majority of the directors of a listed U.S. company to be independent, whereas in Belgium, we are not subject to any legal requirement to have any independent directors. Additionally, our articles of association only require three directors to be independent. Our board of directors currently comprises three independent directors and seven non-independent directors. The Listing Rules of the

 

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NASDAQ Stock Market further require that each of the nominating, compensation and audit committees of a listed U.S. company be comprised entirely of independent directors. While our Audit Committee is comprised entirely of independent directors, our Remuneration and Nomination Committee is composed of two independent directors and one executive director who is, directly or indirectly, a major shareholder of our company.

Form and Transferability of Our Shares

All of our shares belong to the same class of securities and are in registered form.

All of our outstanding shares are fully paid-up and freely transferable, subject to any contractual restrictions.

Currency

All of our shares are denominated in euro.

Changes to Our Share Capital

Changes to our share capital are decided by our shareholders. Our shareholders may at any time at a shareholders’ meeting decide to increase or decrease our share capital. Such resolution must satisfy the quorum and majority requirements that apply to an amendment of the articles of association, as described below in “—Description of the Rights and Benefits Attached To Our Shares—Right to Attend and Vote at Our Shareholders’ Meeting—Quorum and Majority Requirements.” No shareholder is liable to make any further contribution to our share capital other than with respect to shares held by such shareholder that are not fully paid-up.

Share Capital Increases by Our Board of Directors

Subject to the quorum and majority requirements described below in “—Description of the Rights and Benefits Attached To Our Shares—Right to Attend and Vote at Our Shareholders’ Meeting—Quorum and Majority Requirements,” our shareholders’ meeting may authorize our board of directors, within certain limits, to increase our share capital without any further approval of our shareholders. A capital increase that is authorized in this manner is referred to as authorized capital. This authorization can only be granted for a renewable period of a maximum of five years and may not exceed the amount of the registered share capital at the time of the authorization.

At our extraordinary shareholders’ meeting of April 23, 2014, our shareholders authorized our board of directors, for a period of five years from the date of publication of the changes to the articles of association decided by our shareholders’ meeting on April 23, 2014, to increase our share capital, in one or more transactions, up to a maximum amount equal to the amount of our share capital as of the closing of our initial public offering.

In addition, our board of directors is expressly authorized to increase our share capital in the event of a public takeover bid for our securities, within the limits mentioned above and under the conditions set out in Article 607 of the Belgian Company Code. This authorization is granted for a period of three years from the date of the extraordinary shareholders’ meeting of April 23, 2014. Increases in our share capital pursuant to this authorization are deducted from the remaining authorized capital. See “—Share Capital” for a description of changes in our share capital, including since our initial public offering.

Preferential Subscription Rights

In the event of a share capital increase for cash through the issuance of new shares, or in the event we issue convertible bonds or warrants, our existing shareholders have a preferential right to subscribe, pro rata, to the new shares, convertible bonds or warrants. These preferential subscription rights are transferable during the

 

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subscription period. Our board of directors may decide that preferential subscription rights which were not exercised, or were only partly exercised, by any shareholders shall accrue proportionally to the other shareholders who have already exercised their preferential subscription rights, and shall fix the practical terms for such subscription.

Our shareholders may, at a shareholders’ meeting, decide to limit or cancel this preferential subscription right, subject to special reporting requirements. Such decision by the shareholders must satisfy the same quorum and majority requirements as the decision to increase our share capital.

Shareholders may also decide to authorize our board of directors to limit or cancel the preferential subscription right within the framework of the authorized capital, subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the Belgian Company Code. Our board of directors currently has the authority to increase the share capital within the framework of the authorized capital, and the right to limit or cancel the preferential subscription right within the framework of the authorized capital. See also “—Share Capital Increases by Our Board of Directors” above.

Generally, unless expressly authorized in advance by the shareholders’ meeting, the authorization of our board of directors to increase the share capital through contributions in cash with cancellation or limitation of the preferential subscription right of the existing shareholders is suspended as of the notification to us by the Belgian Financial Services and Markets Authority, or the FSMA, of a public takeover bid for our securities.

Under the DGCL, stockholders of a Delaware corporation have no preemptive rights to subscribe for additional issues of stock or to any security convertible into such stock unless, and to the extent that, such rights are expressly provided for in the corporation’s certificate of incorporation.

Purchases and Sales of Our Own Shares

We may only repurchase our own shares pursuant to authorization of our shareholders at a shareholders’ meeting taken under the conditions of quorum and majority provided for in the Belgian Company Code. Pursuant to the Belgian Company Code, such a decision requires a quorum of shareholders holding an aggregate of at least 50% of the share capital and approval by a majority of at least 80% of the share capital present or represented. If there is no quorum, a second meeting must be convened. No quorum is required at the second meeting, but the relevant resolution must be approved by a majority of at least 80% of the share capital present or represented.

Under the DGCL, a Delaware corporation may purchase or redeem its own shares unless the capital of the corporation is impaired or the purchase or redemption would cause an impairment of the capital of the corporation.

At our shareholders’ meeting held on April 23, 2014, our shareholders delegated authority to our board of directors, for a period of five years from the closing date of our initial public offering (which was June 30, 2014), to repurchase our shares up to the maximum number allowed under Article 620, §1, 2° of the Belgian Company Code and for consideration that is not less than 80% of and not more than 120% of the average closing prices of the ADSs representing our ordinary shares during the 30 calendar days prior to either the date of the redemption or the date of the announcement thereof. The authorization is also valid for the acquisition of our shares by one of our direct subsidiaries pursuant to Article 627 of the Belgian Company Code.

Any offer by us to purchase our own shares must be made on the same terms and conditions to all of our shareholders.

Our board of directors is authorized to acquire our own shares if such acquisition is necessary to prevent serious and imminent harm to us. This authorization is valid for three years from the date of the publication of the authorization in the Annexes to the Belgian State Gazette (Belgisch Staatsblad / Moniteur belge).

 

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Our board of directors is also authorized to sell our own shares at a price that it determines. This authorization is valid without restriction in time. The authorization is also valid for the sale of our shares by one of our direct subsidiaries, as defined in Article 627 of the Belgian Company Code. We did not own any own shares as of December 31, 2017.

Exchange Controls and Limitations Affecting Shareholders

There are no Belgian exchange control regulations that impose limitations on our ability to make, or the amount of, cash payments to residents of the United States.

Belgian Legislation

Disclosure of Significant Shareholdings

The Belgian Law of May 2, 2007 on the disclosure of significant shareholdings in issuers whose securities are admitted to trading on a regulated market and containing various provisions does not apply to us. However, in accordance with U.S. federal securities laws, holders of our ordinary shares and holders of ADSs representing our ordinary shares will be required to comply with disclosure requirements relating to their ownership of our securities. Any person who, after acquiring beneficial ownership of our ordinary shares or ADSs representing our ordinary shares, is the beneficial owners of more than 5% of our outstanding ordinary shares or ordinary shares underlying ADSs must file with the SEC a Schedule 13D or Schedule 13G, as applicable, disclosing the information required by such schedules, including the number of our ordinary shares or ordinary shares underlying ADSs that such person has acquired (whether alone or jointly with one or more other persons). In addition, if any material change occurs in the facts set forth in the report filed on Schedule 13D (including a more than 1% increase or decrease in the percentage of the total shares beneficially owned), the beneficial owner must promptly file an amendment disclosing such change.

Public Takeover Bids

Public takeover bids in Belgium for our shares or other securities giving access to voting rights are subject to supervision by the FSMA. Public takeover bids must be extended to all of the voting securities, as well as all other securities giving access to voting rights. Prior to making a bid, a bidder must publish a prospectus which has been approved by the FSMA prior to publication.

However, the Belgian rules on mandatory takeover bids, which provide that a mandatory bid must be launched if a person, as a result of its own acquisition or the acquisition by persons acting in concert with it or by persons acting for their account, directly or indirectly holds more than 30% of the voting securities in a Belgian listed company, are not applicable to us.

Squeeze-out

Pursuant to Article 513 of the Belgian Company Code and the regulations promulgated thereunder, a person or legal entity, or different persons or legal entities acting alone or in concert, who own together with the company 95% of the securities with voting rights in a public company are entitled to acquire the totality of the securities with voting rights in that company following a squeeze-out offer. The securities that are not voluntarily tendered in response to such an offer are deemed to be automatically transferred to the bidder at the end of the procedure. At the end of the procedure, the company is no longer deemed a public company, unless bonds issued by the company are still spread among the public. The consideration for the securities must be in cash and must represent the fair value (verified by an independent expert) in order to safeguard the interests of the transferring shareholders.

The DGCL provides for stockholder appraisal rights, or the right to demand payment in cash of the judicially determined fair value of the stockholder’s shares, in connection with certain mergers and consolidations.

 

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Limitations on the Right to Own Securities

Neither Belgian law nor our articles of association impose any general limitation on the right of non-residents or foreign persons to hold our securities or exercise voting rights on our securities other than those limitations that would generally apply to all shareholders.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES

We may offer ordinary shares, preference shares, ordinary or preference shares in the form of ADSs, warrants, rights, units, debt securities, in one or more series, as either senior or subordinated debt or as senior or subordinated convertible debt, or any combination thereof from time to time in one or more offerings under this prospectus at prices and on terms to be determined at the time of any offering. This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities we may offer. Each time we offer a type or series of securities under this prospectus, we will provide a prospectus supplement and/or free writing prospectus that will describe the specific amounts, prices and other important terms of the securities.

Ordinary Shares

The following description is a summary of certain information relating to the rights and benefits attached to our ordinary shares, certain provisions of our articles of association, the Belgian Companies Code and the DGCL. Because this description is a summary, it may not contain all of the information important to you. Accordingly, this description is qualified entirely by reference to the description of our share capital and the material terms of our articles of association contained in our most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F as updated by other reports and documents we file with the SEC after the date of this prospectus and that are incorporated by reference herein, together with our articles of association, a copy of which has been filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. See “Where You Can Find More Information.”

Right to Attend and Vote at Our Shareholders’ Meetings

Annual Shareholders’ Meeting

Our annual shareholders’ meeting will be held on the first Tuesday in June of each year, at 10 a.m., or at any other time, at our registered office or at any other place in Belgium mentioned in the notice of the meeting. If this date falls on a legal holiday in Belgium, the meeting is held on the next business day in Belgium (excluding Saturday) at the same time.

Special and Extraordinary Shareholders’ Meetings

Our board of directors or the statutory auditor (or the liquidators, if appropriate) may, whenever our interests so require, convene a special or extraordinary shareholders’ meeting. Such shareholders’ meeting must also be convened when one or more shareholders holding at least one-fifth of our share capital so demands.

Under the DGCL, special meetings of the stockholders of a Delaware corporation may be called by such person or persons as may be authorized by the certificate of incorporation or by the bylaws of the corporation, or if not so designated, as determined by the board of directors. Stockholders generally do not have the right to call meetings of stockholders unless that right is granted in the certificate of incorporation or the bylaws.

Notices Convening Shareholders’ Meetings

Notices of our shareholders’ meetings contain the agenda of the meeting indicating the items to be discussed as well as any proposed resolutions that will be submitted at the meeting. Other than in connection with a demand to convene a special or extraordinary shareholders’ meeting as described above, shareholders may not submit matters to be voted upon at our shareholders’ meetings.

Notices are sent 15 days prior to the date of our shareholders’ meeting to the holders of our registered shares, holders of our registered warrants and convertible bonds, and to our directors and our statutory auditor.

We publish on our website the notices of all our shareholders’ meetings and all related documents, such as specific board and auditor’s reports.

 

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Under the DGCL, unless otherwise provided in the certificate of incorporation or by-laws, written notice of any meeting of the stockholders of a Delaware corporation must be given to each stockholder entitled to vote at the meeting not less than 10 nor more than 60 days before the date of the meeting and shall specify the place, date, hour, and, in the case of a special meeting, the purpose of the meeting.

Admission to Meetings

All holders of our shares are entitled to attend our shareholders’ meeting, take part in the deliberations and, within the limits prescribed by the Belgian Company Code, vote.

Shareholders wishing to attend and participate in the shareholders’ meeting must have the ownership of their shares recorded in their names on the third business day preceding the day of the meeting through registration in the shareholders’ register. Our board of directors may make attendance and participation in the shareholders’ meeting subject to a requirement for shareholders to express, on a date prior to the meeting to be determined by our board of directors, their intention to attend the meeting and the number of shares in respect of which they intend to exercise voting rights.

Votes

Each of our ordinary shares is entitled to one vote except for shares owned by us, or by any of our direct subsidiaries, the voting rights of which are suspended.

Voting rights can also be suspended in relation to shares:

 

    which are not fully paid-up, notwithstanding the request thereto of our board of directors;

 

    to which more than one person, or a legal entity represented by two or more persons acting as a board, is entitled, except in the event a single representative is appointed for the exercise of the voting rights; and

 

    for which the voting rights were suspended by a competent court.

The ordinary shares held by our principal shareholders do not entitle such shareholders to different voting rights, except that as long as Wilfried Vancraen, our founder and Chief Executive Officer, Hilde Ingelaere, an Executive Vice President of our company who is also Mr. Vancraen’s spouse, and their three children, Linde, Sander and Jeroen Vancraen, or collectively, the Family Shareholders, control, directly or indirectly, in the aggregate at least 20% of the voting rights attached to our ordinary shares company, a majority of our directors must be appointed by our shareholders from a list of candidates proposed by the Family Shareholders.

Any shareholder with the right to vote may either personally participate in the meeting or give a proxy to another person, who need not be a shareholder, to represent such shareholder at the meeting. All proxies must be in writing in accordance with the form prescribed by us and must be received by us no later than the date determined by our board of directors. Our articles of association do not allow shareholders to vote electronically.

Quorum and Majority Requirements

Generally, there is no quorum requirement for our shareholders’ meetings, except as provided for by law in relation to decisions regarding certain matters. Decisions are made by a simple majority, except where the law provides for a special majority.

Under the DGCL, the certificate of incorporation or bylaws of a Delaware corporation may specify the number of shares required to constitute a quorum but in no event shall a quorum consist of less than one-third of shares entitled to vote at a meeting. In the absence of such specifications, a majority of shares entitled to vote shall constitute a quorum.

 

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Matters involving special legal quorum and majority requirements include, among others, amendment to the articles of association, issues of new shares, convertible bonds or warrants and decisions regarding mergers and demergers, which require at least 50% of the share capital to be present or represented and the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 75% of the votes cast. If the quorum is not reached, a second meeting may be convened at which no quorum requirement applies. The special majority requirement for voting, however, remains applicable.

Any modification of our corporate purpose or legal form requires a quorum of shareholders holding an aggregate of at least 50% of the share capital and approval by a majority of at least 80% of the share capital present or represented. If there is no quorum, a second meeting must be convened. At the second meeting, no quorum is required, but the relevant resolution must be approved by a majority of at least 80% of the share capital present or represented.

Right to Ask Questions at our Shareholders’ Meeting

Within the limits of Article 540 of the Belgian Company Code, members of the board of directors will answer, during the shareholders’ meeting, the questions raised by shareholders. Shareholders can ask questions either during the meeting or in writing, provided that we receive the written questions at the latest on the third business day preceding the shareholders’ meeting.

Dividends

All shares participate equally in our profits (if any) as of and for the entire fiscal year starting on January 1. In general, we may only pay dividends if approved at our shareholders’ meeting, although our board of directors may, subject to certain conditions, pay an interim dividend without shareholder approval in accordance with the provisions of the Belgian Company Code. Dividends are paid on the dates and at the places determined by our board of directors.

The Belgian Company Code provides that dividends can only be paid up to an amount equal to the excess of our shareholders’ equity over the sum of (i) paid-up or called-up share capital and (ii) reserves not available for distribution pursuant to law or the articles of association. Under Belgian law and our amended and restated articles of association, we must allocate at least 5% of our annual net profit under our statutory non-consolidated accounts (prepared in accordance with Belgian GAAP) to a legal reserve until the reserve equals 10% of our share capital. Our legal reserve currently meets this requirement.

Under the DGCL, a Delaware corporation may pay dividends out of its surplus (the excess of net assets over capital), or in case there is no surplus, out of its net profits for the fiscal year in which the dividend is declared and/or the preceding fiscal year (provided that the amount of the capital of the corporation is not less than the aggregate amount of the capital represented by the issued and outstanding stock of all classes having a preference upon the distribution of assets). Dividends may be paid in the form of shares, property or cash.

For more information on our current dividend policy, see “Dividend Policy.”

Appointment of Directors

Our articles of association provide that, as long as the Family Shareholders control, directly or indirectly, in the aggregate at least 20% of the voting rights attached to our ordinary shares company, a majority of our directors must be appointed by our shareholders from a list of candidates proposed by the Family Shareholders.

Liquidation Rights

Our company can only be dissolved by a shareholders’ resolution passed with a majority of at least 75% of the votes cast at an extraordinary shareholders’ meeting where at least 50% of the share capital is present or represented.

 

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Under the DGCL, unless the board of directors approves the proposal to dissolve, dissolution of a Delaware corporation must be approved by stockholders 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. The DGCL allows a Delaware corporation to include in its certificate of incorporation a supermajority voting requirement in connection with dissolutions initiated by the board.

In the event of the dissolution and liquidation of our company, the assets remaining after payment of all debts and liquidation expenses will be distributed to the holders of our shares, each receiving a sum on a pro rata basis.

If, as a result of losses incurred, the ratio of our net assets (determined in accordance with Belgian legal and accounting rules) to share capital is less than 50%, our board of directors must convene a general shareholders’ meeting within two months of the date upon which our board of directors discovered or should have discovered this undercapitalization. At this shareholders’ meeting our board of directors needs to propose either our dissolution or our continuation, in which case our board of directors must propose measures to address our financial situation. Our board of directors must justify its proposals in a special report to the shareholders. Shareholders representing at least 75% of the votes validly cast at this meeting have the right to dissolve us, provided that at least 50% of our share capital is present or represented at the meeting.

If, as a result of losses incurred, the ratio of our net assets to share capital is less than 25%, the same procedure must be followed, it being understood, however, that in the event shareholders representing 25% of the votes validly cast at the meeting can decide to dissolve us. If the amount of our net assets has dropped below €61,500 (the minimum amount of share capital of a Belgian limited liability company), any interested party is entitled to request the competent court to dissolve us. The court can order our dissolution or grant a grace period during which time we must remedy the situation.

Holders of ordinary shares have no sinking fund, redemption or appraisal rights.

American Depositary Shares Representing Our Ordinary Shares

The following is a summary of the material provisions of the deposit agreement governing the ADSs that represent our ordinary shares. Because this description is a summary, it may not contain all of the information important to you. Accordingly, this description is qualified entirely by reference to the deposit agreement and the form of ADR, which are filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. See “Where You Can Find More Information.”

The Bank of New York Mellon, as depositary, will register and deliver the ADSs. Each ADS will represent one ordinary share (or a right to receive one ordinary share) deposited with the principal Amsterdam office of ING Securities Services, Inc., as custodian for the depositary. Each ADS will also represent any other securities, cash or other property which may be held by the depositary. The depositary’s corporate trust office at which the ADSs are administered is located at 101 Barclay Street, New York, New York 10286. The Bank of New York Mellon’s principal executive office is located at One Wall Street, New York, New York 10286.

You may hold ADSs either (i) directly (x) by having an American Depositary Receipt, or ADR, which is a certificate evidencing a specific number of ADSs, registered in your name, or (y) by having ADSs registered in your name in the Direct Registration System, or (ii) indirectly by holding a security entitlement in ADSs through your broker or other financial institution. If you hold ADSs directly, you are a registered ADS holder, or ADS holder. This description assumes you are an ADS holder. If you hold the ADSs indirectly, you must rely on the procedures of your broker or other financial institution to assert the rights of ADS holders described in this section. You should consult with your broker or financial institution to find out what those procedures are.

The Direct Registration System, or DRS, is a system administered by The Depository Trust Company, or DTC, pursuant to which the depositary may register the ownership of uncertificated ADSs, which ownership is evidenced by periodic statements sent by the depositary to the registered holders of uncertificated ADSs.

 

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As an ADS holder, we will not treat you as one of our shareholders and you will not have shareholder rights. Belgian law governs shareholder rights. The depositary will be the holder of the ordinary shares underlying your ADSs. As a registered holder of ADSs, you will have the rights of an ADS holder. A deposit agreement among us, the depositary, ADS holders, and all other persons indirectly holding ADSs sets out ADS holder rights as well as the rights and obligations of the depositary. New York law governs the deposit agreement and the ADSs.

Dividends and Other Distributions

How will you receive dividends and other distributions on the ordinary shares?

The depositary has agreed to pay to ADS holders the cash dividends or other distributions it or the custodian receives on ordinary shares or other deposited securities, after deducting its fees and expenses. You will receive these distributions in proportion to the number of ordinary shares your ADSs represent.

Cash. We have no present intention of declaring or paying any cash dividends or cash distributions on our ordinary shares in the foreseeable future. In the event we do declare or pay any cash dividends or cash distributions, the depositary will convert any cash dividend or other cash distribution we pay on the ordinary shares into U.S. dollars, if it can do so on a reasonable basis and can transfer the U.S. dollars to the United States. If it is not possible and lawful to do so on a reasonable basis, or if any government approval is needed and cannot be obtained, the deposit agreement allows the depositary to distribute the foreign currency only to those ADS holders to whom it is possible to do so. It will hold the foreign currency it cannot convert for the account of the ADS holders who have not been paid. It will not invest the foreign currency and it will not be liable for any interest.

Before making a distribution, any taxes or other governmental charges, together with fees and expenses of the depositary that must be paid will be deducted. It will distribute only whole U.S. dollars and cents and will round fractional cents to the nearest whole cent. If the exchange rates fluctuate during a time when the depositary cannot convert the foreign currency, you may lose some or all of the value of the distribution.

Shares. We have no present intention of declaring or paying any share dividends or other distributions of our ordinary shares in the foreseeable future. In the event of a share dividend or other distribution of ordinary shares, the depositary may distribute additional ADSs representing such ordinary shares. The depositary will only distribute whole ADSs. It will sell shares which would require it to deliver a fractional ADS and distribute the net proceeds in the same way as it does with cash. If the depositary does not distribute additional ADSs, the Depositary will consult with us in good faith concerning the appropriate treatment of such additional ordinary shares. The depositary may sell a portion of the distributed ordinary shares sufficient to pay its fees and expenses in connection with that distribution.

Rights to Purchase Additional Ordinary Shares. If we offer holders of our securities any rights to subscribe for additional ordinary shares or any other rights, the depositary may make these rights available to ADS holders. If the depositary decides it is not legal and practical to make the rights available but that it is practical to sell the rights, the depositary will use reasonable efforts to sell the rights and distribute the proceeds in the same way as it does with cash. The depositary will allow rights that are not distributed or sold to lapse. In that case, you will receive no value for them.

If the depositary makes rights available to ADS holders, it will exercise the rights and purchase the ordinary shares on your behalf. The depositary will then deposit the ordinary shares and deliver ADSs to the persons entitled to them. It will only exercise rights if you pay the exercise price and any other charges required to be paid in order to exercise the rights.

U.S. securities laws may restrict transfers or the cancellation of the ADSs representing ordinary shares purchased upon the exercise of rights. For example, you may not be able to trade these ADSs freely in the United States. In this case, the depositary may deliver restricted depositary shares that have the same terms as the ADSs described in this section except for changes needed to put the necessary restrictions in place.

 

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Other Distributions. The depositary will send to ADS holders anything else we distribute on deposited securities by any means it determines is legal, fair and practical. If it cannot make the distribution in that way, the depositary has a choice. It may decide to sell what we distributed and distribute the net proceeds, in the same way as it does with cash. Or, it may decide to hold what we distributed, in which case ADSs will also represent the newly distributed property. However, the depositary is not required to distribute any securities (other than ADSs) to ADS holders unless it receives satisfactory evidence from us that it is legal to make that distribution. The depositary may sell a portion of the distributed securities or property sufficient to pay its fees and expenses in connection with that distribution.

The depositary is not responsible if it decides that it is unlawful or impractical to make a distribution available to any ADS holders. We have no obligation to register ADSs, ordinary shares, rights or other securities under the Securities Act. We also have no obligation to take any other action to permit the distribution of ADSs, ordinary shares, rights or anything else to ADS holders. This means that ADS holders may not receive the distributions we make on our ordinary shares or any value for them if it is illegal or impractical for us to make them available to ADS holders.

Deposit, Withdrawal and Cancellation

How are ADSs issued?

The depositary will deliver ADSs if you or your broker deposit ordinary shares or evidence of rights to receive ordinary shares with the custodian. Upon payment of its fees and expenses and of any taxes or charges, such as stamp taxes or share transfer taxes or fees, and delivery of any required endorsements, certifications or other instruments of transfer required by the depositary, the depositary will register the appropriate number of ADSs in the names you request and will deliver the ADSs to or upon the order of the person or persons that made the deposit.

How can you withdraw the deposited securities?

You may surrender your ADSs at the depositary’s corporate trust office. Upon payment of its fees and expenses and of any taxes or charges, such as stamp taxes or share transfer taxes or fees, the depositary will deliver the ordinary shares and any other deposited securities underlying the ADSs to you or a person designated by you at the office of the custodian. Or, at your request, risk and expense, the depositary will deliver the deposited securities at its corporate trust office, if feasible.

How can you interchange between certificated ADSs and uncertificated ADSs?

You may surrender your ADR to the depositary for the purpose of exchanging your ADR for uncertificated ADSs. The depositary will cancel that ADR and will send to you a statement confirming that you are the registered holder of uncertificated ADSs. Alternatively, upon receipt by the depositary of a proper instruction from a registered holder of uncertificated ADSs requesting the exchange of uncertificated ADSs for certificated ADSs, the depositary will execute and deliver to you an ADR evidencing those ADSs.

Voting Rights

How do you vote?

You may instruct the depositary how to vote the number of deposited ordinary shares your ADSs represent. The depositary will notify you of shareholders’ meetings and arrange to deliver our voting materials to you if we ask it to. Those materials will describe the matters to be voted on and explain how you may instruct the depositary how to vote. For instructions to be valid, they must reach the depositary by a date set by the depositary.

 

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Otherwise, you will not be able to exercise your right to vote unless you withdraw the ordinary shares. However, you may not know about the meeting with sufficient advance notice to withdraw the ordinary shares.

The depositary will try, to the extent practicable, and subject to the laws of Belgium and to our articles of association, bylaws or similar documents, to vote or to have its agents vote the ordinary shares or other deposited securities as instructed by you. If we requested the depositary to act at least 30 days prior to the meeting date and the depositary does not receive voting instructions from you by the specified date, it will consider you to have instructed it to give a discretionary proxy to a person designated by us with respect to the number of deposited securities represented by your ADSs, provided that no such instruction will be deemed given with respect to any matter as to which we inform the depositary (and we will provide such information as promptly as practicable, if applicable) that substantial opposition exists or such matter materially and adversely affects the rights of holders of ordinary shares. The depositary will only vote or attempt to vote as instructed or as described above. The depositary, as a shareholder on record, may either personally participate in the meeting or give a proxy to another person to represent it at the meeting. Our articles of association do not allow shareholders to vote electronically.

We cannot assure you that you will receive the voting materials in time to ensure that you can instruct the depositary to vote your ordinary shares. In addition, the depositary and its agents are not responsible for failing to carry out voting instructions or for the manner of carrying out voting instructions. This means that you may not be able to exercise your right to vote and there may be nothing you can do if your ordinary shares are not voted as you requested.

In order to give you a reasonable opportunity to instruct the depositary as to the exercise of voting rights relating to deposited securities, if we request the depositary to act, we agree to give the depositary notice of any such meeting and details concerning the matters to be voted upon at least 15 days in advance of the meeting date.

Fees and Expenses

What fees and expenses will you be responsible for paying?

Pursuant to the terms of the deposit agreement, you will be required to pay the following fees to the depositary:

 

Persons depositing or withdrawing ordinary shares or ADS holders must pay to the depositary:    For:
$5.00 (or less) per 100 ADSs (or portion of 100 ADSs)    Issuance of ADSs, including issuances resulting from a distribution of ordinary shares or rights or other property
   Cancellation of ADSs for the purpose of withdrawal, including if the deposit agreement terminates
$0.05 (or less) per ADS    Any cash distribution to you
A fee equivalent to the fee that would be payable if securities distributed to you had been ordinary shares and the shares had been deposited for issuance of ADSs    Distribution of securities distributed to holders of deposited securities which are distributed by the depositary to you
$0.05 (or less) per ADS per calendar year    Depositary services
Registration or transfer fees    Transfer and registration of ordinary shares on our share register to or from the name of the depositary or its agent when you deposit or withdraw shares
Expenses of the depositary    Cable, telex and facsimile transmissions (when expressly provided in the deposit agreement) converting foreign currency to U.S. dollars

 

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Taxes and other governmental charges the depositary or the custodian has to pay on any ADS or ordinary shares underlying an ADS, such as share transfer taxes, stamp duty or withholding taxes    As necessary
Any charges incurred by the depositary or its agents for servicing the deposited securities    As necessary

The depositary collects its fees for delivery and surrender of ADSs directly from investors depositing ordinary 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 may collect any of its fees by deduction from any cash distribution payable to ADS holders that are obligated to pay those fees. The depositary may generally refuse to provide fee-based services until its fees for those services are paid.

From time to time, the depositary may make payments to us to reimburse or share revenue from the fees collected from ADS holders, or waive fees and expenses for services provided, generally relating to costs and expenses arising out of establishment and maintenance of the ADS program. In performing its duties under the deposit agreement, the depositary may use brokers, dealers or other service providers that are affiliates of the depositary and that may earn or share fees or commissions.

Payment of Taxes

You will be responsible for any taxes or other governmental charges payable on your ADSs or on the deposited securities represented by any of your ADSs. The depositary may refuse to register any transfer of your ADSs or allow you to withdraw the deposited securities represented by your ADSs until such taxes or other charges are paid. It may apply payments owed to you or sell deposited securities represented by your ADSs to pay any taxes owed and you will remain liable for any deficiency. If the depositary sells deposited securities, it will, if appropriate, reduce the number of ADSs to reflect the sale and pay to ADS holders any proceeds, or send to ADS holders any property, remaining after it has paid the taxes.

Reclassifications, Recapitalizations and Mergers

 

If we:

 

  

Then:

 

•  Change the nominal or par value of our ordinary shares

 

•  Reclassify, split up or consolidate any of the deposited securities

   The cash, ordinary shares or other securities received by the depositary will become deposited securities. Each ADS will automatically represent its equal share of the new deposited securities.

•  Distribute securities on the ordinary shares that are not distributed to you

 

•  Recapitalize, reorganize, merge, liquidate, sell all or substantially all of our assets, or take any similar action

   The depositary may distribute new ADSs representing the new deposited securities or ask you to surrender your outstanding ADRs in exchange for new ADRs identifying the new deposited securities.

 

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Amendment and Termination

How may the deposit agreement be amended?

We may agree with the depositary to amend the deposit agreement and the ADRs without your consent for any reason. If an amendment adds or increases fees or charges, except for taxes and other governmental charges or expenses of the depositary for registration fees, facsimile costs, delivery charges or similar items, or materially prejudices a substantial right of ADS holders, it will not become effective for outstanding ADSs until 30 days after the depositary notifies ADS holders of the amendment. At the time an amendment becomes effective, you are considered, by continuing to hold your ADSs, to agree to the amendment and to be bound by the ADRs and the deposit agreement as amended.

How may the deposit agreement be terminated?

The depositary will terminate the deposit agreement at our direction by mailing notice of termination to the ADS holders then outstanding at least 30 days prior to the date fixed in such notice for such termination. The depositary may also terminate the deposit agreement by mailing notice of termination to us and the ADS holders if 60 days have passed since the depositary told us it wants to resign but a successor depositary has not been appointed and accepted its appointment.

After termination, the depositary and its agents will do the following under the deposit agreement but nothing else: collect distributions on the deposited securities, sell rights and other property, and deliver ordinary shares and other deposited securities upon cancellation of ADSs. Four months after termination, the depositary may sell any remaining deposited securities by public or private sale. After that, the depositary will hold the money it received on the sale, as well as any other cash it is holding under the deposit agreement for the pro rata benefit of the ADS holders that have not surrendered their ADSs. It will not invest the money and has no liability for interest. The depositary’s only obligations will be to account for the money and other cash. After termination our only obligations will be to indemnify the depositary and to pay fees and expenses of the depositary that we agreed to pay.

Limitations on Obligations and Liability

Limits on our obligations and the obligations of the depositary; limits on liability to holders of ADSs

The deposit agreement expressly limits our obligations and the obligations of the depositary. It also limits our liability and the liability of the depositary or any of our respective directors, officers, employees, agents or affiliates. We and the depositary and our respective directors, officers, employees, agents or affiliates:

 

    are only obligated to take the actions specifically set forth in the deposit agreement without negligence or bad faith;

 

    are not liable if we are or it is prevented or delayed by law or circumstances beyond our control from performing our or its obligations under the deposit agreement;

 

    are not liable if we or it exercises discretion permitted under the deposit agreement;

 

    are not liable for the inability of any holder of ADSs to benefit from any distribution on deposited securities that is not made available to holders of ADSs under the terms of the deposit agreement, or for any special, consequential or punitive damages for any breach of the terms of the deposit agreement;

 

    are not liable for any tax consequences to any holders of ADSs on account of their ownership of ADSs;

 

    have no obligation to become involved in a lawsuit or other proceeding related to the ADSs or the deposit agreement on your behalf or on behalf of any other person; and

 

    may rely upon any documents we believe or it believes in good faith to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper person.

In the deposit agreement, we and the depositary agree to indemnify each other under certain circumstances. Additionally, we, the depositary and each owner and holder of ADSs waives the right to a jury trial in an action

 

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against us or the depositary arising out of or relating to the ordinary shares or other deposited securities, ADSs, ADRs or the deposit agreement.

Requirements for Depositary Actions

Before the depositary will deliver or register a transfer of an ADS, make a distribution on an ADS, or permit withdrawal of ordinary shares, the depositary may require:

 

    payment of share transfer or other taxes or other governmental charges and transfer or registration fees charged by third parties for the transfer of any ordinary shares or other deposited securities;

 

    satisfactory proof of the identity and genuineness of any signature or other information it deems necessary; and

 

    compliance with regulations it may establish, from time to time, consistent with the deposit agreement, including presentation of transfer documents.

The depositary may refuse to deliver ADSs or register transfers of ADSs when the transfer books of the depositary or our transfer books are closed or at any time if the depositary or we think it advisable to do so.

Your Right to Receive the Ordinary Shares Underlying Your ADSs

ADS holders have the right to cancel their ADSs and withdraw the underlying ordinary shares at any time except:

 

    when temporary delays arise because: (i) the depositary has closed its transfer books or we have closed our transfer books; (ii) the transfer of ordinary shares is blocked to permit voting at a shareholders’ meeting; or (iii) we are paying a dividend on our ordinary shares;

 

    when you owe money to pay fees, taxes and similar charges; and

 

    when it is necessary to prohibit withdrawals in order to comply with any laws or governmental regulations that apply to ADSs or to the withdrawal of ordinary shares or other deposited securities.

This right of withdrawal may not be limited by any other provision of the deposit agreement.

Pre-release of ADSs

The deposit agreement permits the depositary to deliver ADSs before deposit of the underlying ordinary shares. This is called a pre-release of the ADSs. The depositary may also deliver ordinary shares upon surrender and cancellation of pre-released ADSs (even if the ADSs are cancelled before the pre-release transaction has been closed out). A pre-release is closed out as soon as the underlying ordinary shares are delivered to the depositary. The depositary may accept ADSs instead of ordinary shares to close out a pre-release. The depositary may pre-release ADSs only under the following conditions: (1) before or at the time of the pre-release, the person to whom the pre-release is being made represents to the depositary and agrees in writing that it or its customer (i) owns or represents the owner of the shares to be deposited (ii) assigns all beneficial right, title and interest in such shares to the depositary in its capacity as such and for the benefit of the ADS holders, and (iii) will not take any action with respect to such shares that is inconsistent with the transfer of beneficial ownership (including without the consent of the depositary, disposing of such shares), other than in satisfaction of such pre-release; (2) the pre-release is fully collateralized with cash or other collateral that the depositary considers appropriate; and (3) the depositary must be able to close out the pre-release on not more than five business days’ notice. In addition, the depositary will limit the number of ADSs that may be outstanding at any time as a result of pre-release, which limit will normally be 30% of the ordinary shares deposited under the deposit agreement, although the depositary may disregard the limit from time to time if it thinks it is appropriate to do so.

Direct Registration System

In the deposit agreement, all parties to the deposit agreement acknowledge that the DRS and Profile Modification System, or Profile, will apply to uncertificated ADSs upon acceptance thereof to DRS by DTC. DRS is the

 

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system administered by DTC under which the depositary may register the ownership of uncertificated ADSs, which ownership will be confirmed by periodic statements sent by the depositary to the registered holders of uncertificated ADSs. Profile is a required feature of DRS that allows a DTC participant, claiming to act on behalf of a registered holder of ADSs, to direct the depositary to register a transfer of those ADSs to DTC or its nominee and to deliver those ADSs to the DTC account of that DTC participant without receipt by the depositary of prior authorization from the ADS holder to register that transfer.

In connection with and in accordance with the arrangements and procedures relating to DRS and Profile, the parties to the deposit agreement understand that the depositary will not verify, determine or otherwise ascertain whether the DTC participant that is claiming to be acting on behalf of an ADS holder in requesting registration of transfer and delivery described in the paragraph above has the actual authority to act on behalf of the ADS holder (notwithstanding any requirements under the Uniform Commercial Code). In the deposit agreement, the parties agree that the depositary’s reliance on and compliance with instructions received by the depositary through the DRS/Profile system and in accordance with the deposit agreement will not constitute negligence or bad faith on the part of the depositary.

Shareholder Communications; Inspection of Register of Holders of ADSs; ADS Holder Information

The depositary will make available for your inspection at its office all communications that it receives from us as a holder of deposited securities that we make generally available to holders of deposited securities. The depositary will send you copies of those communications if we ask it to. You have a right to inspect the register of holders of ADSs, but not for the purpose of contacting those holders about a matter unrelated to our business or the ADSs.

Each holder of ADSs will be required to provide such information as from time to time may be requested by us or as may otherwise be required to be disclosed, in accordance with applicable law, the rules and requirements of any stock exchange or clearing system on which the ADSs are traded or our articles of association.

Preference Shares

We may issue preference shares from time to time, in one or more series, including preference shares in the form of ADSs. We will set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement a description of the terms and rights of the preference shares that may be offered under this prospectus, including the designation of the series, the number of shares of the series, the preferences and relative, participating, option or other special rights, if any, and any qualifications, limitations or restrictions of such series, and the voting rights, if any, of the holders of the series. Belgian company law and/or our articles of association may require shareholder approval for the establishment of a series of preference shares. We urge you to read the applicable prospectus supplement and any free writing prospectus that we may authorize to be provided to you related to the series of preference shares being offered.

Warrants

As we have done in the past, we may issue warrants for the purchase of our ordinary shares and/or preference shares and/or ordinary shares or preference shares in the form of ADSs and/or debt securities in one or more series. We may issue warrants independently or together with other securities, and the warrants may be attached to or separate from these securities. We urge you to read the applicable prospectus supplement and any free writing prospectus that we may authorize to be provided to you related to the particular series of warrants being offered, as well as the complete warrant agreements and/or warrant certificates that contain the terms of the warrants. Forms of the warrant agreements and/or forms of warrant certificates containing the terms of the warrants 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.

We may evidence series of warrants by warrant certificates that we will issue. Warrants may be issued under an applicable warrant agreement that we enter into with a warrant agent. We will indicate the name and address of the warrant agent, if applicable, in the prospectus supplement relating to the particular series of warrants being offered.

 

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Rights

We may issue rights for the purchase of our ordinary shares and/or preference shares and/or ordinary shares or preference shares in the form of ADSs. We may issue rights independently or together with other securities, the rights may be attached to or separate from these securities and the rights may or may not be transferable by the shareholder receiving the rights in the rights offering. We urge you to read the applicable prospectus supplement and any free writing prospectus that we may authorize to be provided to you related to the rights being offered, as well as the complete rights agreements and/or rights certificates that contain the terms of the rights. Forms of the rights agreements and/or forms of rights certificates containing the terms of the rights 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.

We may evidence rights by rights certificates that we will issue. Rights may be issued under an applicable rights agreement that we enter into with a rights agent. We will indicate the name and address of the rights agent, if applicable, in the prospectus supplement relating to the rights being offered.

Units

We may issue, in one or more series, units consisting of ordinary shares, preference shares, ordinary shares or preference shares in the form of ADSs, debt securities, warrants for the purchase of ordinary shares and/or preference shares and/or debt securities, and/or rights for the purchase of ordinary shares and/or preference shares in any combination. We urge you to read the applicable prospectus supplement and any free writing prospectus that we may authorize to be provided to you related to the series of units being offered, as well as the complete unit agreement that contains the terms of the units. We will file as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, or will incorporate by reference from reports that we file with the SEC, the form of unit agreement and any supplemental agreements that describe the terms of the series of units we are offering before the issuance of the related series of units.

We will evidence each series of units by unit certificates that we will issue. Units may be issued under a unit agreement that we enter into with a unit agent. We will indicate the name and address of the unit agent, if applicable, in the prospectus supplement relating to the particular series of units being offered.

Debt Securities

We may offer and issue debt securities from time to time in one or more series, under an indenture between us and the trustee named in the indenture, dated as of a date on or prior to the issuance of the debt securities, and pursuant to an applicable prospectus supplement. We may issue senior debt securities and subordinated debt securities pursuant to an indenture between us and the trustee named in the indenture. We have filed a form of the indenture as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, and supplemental indentures and forms of debt securities containing the terms of the debt securities being offered and sold will be filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part and/or will be incorporated by reference from reports that we file with the SEC. The indenture, as amended or supplemented from time to time, is referred to below collectively as the “indenture.” The indenture will be subject to and governed by the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, or the Trust Indenture Act, and will be construed in accordance with and governed by the laws of the State of New York (without giving effect to any principles thereof relating to conflicts of law that would result in the application of the laws of any other jurisdiction). However, since we are a company incorporated and existing under Belgian law, certain aspects of the debt securities may be governed by compulsory provisions of Belgian law, which, if applicable, will be specified in the applicable prospectus supplement. The indenture will contain the specific terms of any series of debt securities or provide that those terms must be set forth in or determined pursuant to, an authorizing resolution, as defined in the applicable prospectus supplement, and/or a supplemental indenture, if any, relating to such series. Our debt securities may be convertible or exchangeable into any of our equity or other debt securities.

 

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The following description sets forth certain general terms and provisions of the debt securities. Please note that the terms of any series of debt securities that we may offer may differ significantly from the general terms described in this prospectus. The particular terms and provisions of the debt securities offered by any prospectus supplement, and the extent to which the general terms and provisions described below may apply to the offered debt securities, will be described in the applicable subsequent filings. We refer to any applicable prospectus supplement, amendment to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, and reports we file with the SEC under the Exchange Act as “subsequent filings.” The statements below are not complete and are subject to, and are qualified in their entirety by reference to, all of the provisions of the indenture. The specific terms of any debt securities that we may offer, including any modifications of, or additions to, the general terms described below as well as any applicable material U.S. federal income tax considerations and Belgian tax considerations concerning the ownership of such debt securities will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement and, as applicable, supplemental indenture. Accordingly, for a complete description of the terms of a particular issue of debt securities, the general description of the debt securities set forth below should be read in conjunction with the applicable prospectus supplement and the indenture, as amended or supplemented from time to time.

General

We expect that the indenture will not limit the amount of debt securities which may be issued. The debt securities may be issued in one or more series.

You should read the indenture and subsequent filings relating to the particular series of debt securities for the following terms of the offered debt securities:

(a) the title, designation, aggregate principal amount and authorized denominations of the debt securities;

(b) the price or prices (expressed as a percentage of the aggregate principal amount thereof) at which the debt securities will be issued;

(c) the date or dates on which the principal of the debt securities is payable;

(d) the rate or rates (which may be fixed or variable) per annum or, if applicable, the method used to determine such rate or rates at which the debt securities will bear interest, if any, the date or dates from which such interest, if any, will commence and be payable and any regular record date for the interest payable on any interest payment date;

(e) any optional or mandatory sinking fund provisions or conversion or exchangeability provisions upon which debt securities will be redeemed, purchased, converted or exchanged;

(f) the date, if any, after which and the price or prices at which the debt securities may be optionally redeemed or must be mandatorily redeemed and any other terms and provisions of optional or mandatory provisions;

(g) if other than denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof, the denominations in which the debt securities will be issuable;

(h) if other than the full principal amount, the portion of the principal amount of the debt securities of that will be payable upon declaration of acceleration pursuant to the terms of the indenture or provable in bankruptcy;

(i) any addition to or change in the events of default which applies to any debt securities and any change in the right of the trustee or the requisite holders of such debt securities to declare the principal amount thereof due and payable pursuant to the terms of the indenture;

 

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(j) the currency or currencies, including composite currencies, in which payments of principal of, premium or interest, if any, on the debt securities will be payable, if other than U.S. dollars;

(k) if payments of principal of, premium or interest, if any, on the debt securities will be payable, at our election or at the election of any holder, in a currency other than that in which the debt securities are stated to be payable, the period or periods within which, and the terms and conditions upon which, the election may be made;

(l) if payments of interest, if any, on the debt securities will be payable, at our election or at the election of any holder, in cash or additional securities, and the terms and conditions upon which the election may be made;

(m) if denominated in a currency or currencies other than U.S. dollars, the equivalent price of the debt securities in U.S. dollars for purposes of determining the voting rights of holders of the debt securities;

(n) if the amount of payments of principal, premium or interest may be determined with reference to an index, formula or other method based on a coin or currency other than that in which the debt securities are stated to be payable, the manner in which the amounts will be determined;

(o) any restrictive covenants or other material terms relating to the debt securities;

(p) whether the debt securities will be issued in the form of global securities or certificates in registered form;

(q) any terms with respect to subordination;

(r) any listing on any securities exchange or quotation system;

(s) additional provisions, if any, related to defeasance and discharge of the debt securities; and

(t) the applicability of any guarantees, which would be governed by New York law.

Subsequent filings may include additional terms not listed above. Unless otherwise indicated in subsequent filings with the SEC relating to the indenture, principal, premium and interest will be payable and the debt securities will be transferable at the corporate trust office of the trustee. Unless other arrangements are made or set forth in subsequent filings or a supplemental indenture, principal, premium and interest will be paid by checks mailed to the registered holders at their registered addresses.

Unless otherwise indicated in subsequent filings with the SEC, the debt securities will be issued only in fully registered form without coupons, in denominations of $1,000 or any integral multiple thereof. No service charge will be made for any transfer or exchange of the debt securities, but we may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection with the debt securities.

Some or all of the debt securities may be issued as discounted debt securities, bearing no interest or interest at a rate which at the time of issuance is below market rates, to be sold at a substantial discount below the stated principal amount. U.S. federal income tax consequences and other special considerations applicable to any discounted securities will be described in subsequent filings with the SEC relating to those securities.

Ranking

We may issue senior debt securities, which may be secured or unsecured, under the indenture. The senior debt securities will rank on an equal basis with all our other senior debt except subordinated debt. The senior debt

 

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securities will be effectively subordinated, however, to all of our secured debt to the extent of the value of the collateral securing such debt. We will disclose the amount of our debt in the prospectus supplement.

We may also issue subordinated debt securities under the indenture. Subordinated debt would rank subordinate and junior in right of payment, to the extent set forth in the indenture, to all our senior debt.

Covenants

Any series of debt securities may have covenants in addition to or differing from those included in the indenture, which will be described in subsequent filings prepared in connection with the offering of such securities, and may limit or restrict, among other things:

 

    our ability to incur either secured or unsecured debt, or both;

 

    our ability to make certain payments, dividends, redemptions or repurchases;

 

    our ability to create dividend and other payment restrictions affecting our subsidiaries;

 

    our ability to make investments;

 

    mergers and consolidations by us or our subsidiaries;

 

    sales of assets by us;

 

    our ability to enter into transactions with affiliates;

 

    our ability to incur liens; and

 

    sale and leaseback transactions.

Modifications of the Indenture

Unless the debt securities qualify as bonds (obligaties / obligations) under Belgian company law, we expect that the indenture and the rights of the respective holders generally may be modified by us only with the consent of holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of all series under the indenture affected by the modification, taken together as a class. But we expect that no modification that:

 

  1) changes the amount of debt securities whose holders must consent to an amendment, supplement or waiver, subject to certain exceptions;

 

  2) reduces the rate of or changes the interest payment time on any debt security;

 

  3) Waives a redemption payment or alters the redemption provisions of any debt security (other than any alteration that would not materially adversely affect the legal rights of any holder under the indenture) or the price at which we are required to offer to purchase the securities;

 

  4) reduces the principal or changes the stated maturity of any debt security or reduces the amount of, or postpones the date fixed for, the payment of any sinking fund or analogous obligation;

 

  5) reduces the principal amount payable of any security upon maturity;

 

  6) waives a default or event of default in the payment of the principal of or interest, if any, on any debt security (except a rescission of acceleration of the debt securities of any series by the holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series and a waiver of the payment default that resulted from such acceleration);

 

  7) changes the place or currency of payment of principal of or interest, if any, on any debt security other than that stated in such debt security;

 

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  8) impairs the right of any holder of a debt security to receive payment of principal or interest on the debt security of such holder on or after the due dates therefor;

 

  9) impairs the right to institute suits for the enforcement of any payment on or with respect to any debt security;

 

  10) changes the ranking of any debt security; or

 

  11) makes any other change which is specified in the applicable subsequent filings;

will be effective against any holder without its consent. Other terms of our debt securities that do not qualify as bonds (obligaties / obligations) under Belgian company law, as specified in subsequent filings, may be modified without the consent of the holders.

In the event the debt securities, however, do qualify as bonds (obligaties / obligations) under Belgian company law, the rights of the respective holders may only be modified if the provisions relating to general meetings of bondholders (algemene vergadering van obligatiehouders / assemblée générale des obligataires) as set forth in the Belgian Company Code are complied with.

Events of Default

We expect that the indenture will define an event of default for the debt securities of any series as being any one of the following events:

 

    default in any payment of interest when due which continues for 30 days;

 

    default in any payment of principal or premium at maturity;

 

    default in the deposit of any sinking fund payment when due;

 

    default in the performance of any other covenant in the debt securities or the indenture which continues for 60 days after we receive notice of the default;

 

    default under a bond, debenture, note or other evidence of indebtedness for borrowed money by us or our subsidiaries (to the extent we are directly responsible or liable therefor) having a principal amount in excess of a minimum amount set forth in the applicable subsequent filings, whether such indebtedness now exists or is hereafter created, which default shall have resulted in such indebtedness becoming or being declared due and payable prior to the date on which it would otherwise have become due and payable, without such acceleration having been rescinded or annulled or cured within 30 days after we receive notice of the default;

 

    failure to pay certain final, non-appealable judgements, the aggregate uninsured and unbonded portion of which is in excess of a minimum amount set forth in the applicable subsequent filings, if the judgments are not paid, discharged, waived or stayed within a specified number of days set forth in the applicable subsequent filings; and

 

    certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization.

An event of default of one series of debt securities will not necessarily constitute an event of default with respect to any other series of debt securities.

There may be such other or different events of default as described in an applicable subsequent filing with respect to any class or series of debt securities.

We expect that under the indenture, in case an event of default occurs and continues for the debt securities of any series, the trustee or the holders of not less than 25% in aggregate principal amount of the debt securities then outstanding of that series may declare the principal and accrued but unpaid interest of the debt securities of that

 

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series to be due and payable. Further, any event of default for the debt securities of any series which has been cured is expected to be permitted to be waived by the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the debt securities of that series then outstanding.

We expect that the indenture will require us to file annually after debt securities are issued under the indenture with the trustee a written statement signed by two of our officers as to the absence of material defaults under the terms of the indenture. We also expect that the indenture will provide that the trustee may withhold notice to the holders of any default if it considers it in the interest of the holders to do so, except notice of a default in payment of principal, premium or interest.

Subject to the duties of the trustee in case an event of default occurs and continues, we expect that the indenture will provide that the trustee is under no obligation to exercise any of its rights or powers under the indenture at the request, order or direction of holders unless the holders have offered to the trustee reasonable indemnity. Subject to these provisions for indemnification and the rights of the trustee, the indenture is expected to provide that the holders of a majority in principal amount of the debt securities of any series then outstanding 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 as long as the exercise of that right does not conflict with any law or the indenture.

Defeasance and Discharge

The terms of the indenture are expected to provide us with the option to be discharged from any and all obligations in respect of the debt securities issued thereunder upon the deposit with the trustee, in trust, of money or U.S. government obligations, or both, which through the payment of interest and principal in accordance with their terms will provide money in an amount sufficient to pay any installment of principal, premium and interest on, and any mandatory sinking fund payments in respect of, the debt securities on the stated maturity of the payments in accordance with the terms of the debt securities and the indenture governing the debt securities. We expect that this right may only be exercised if, among other things, we have received from, or there has been published by, the U.S. Internal Revenue Service a ruling to the effect that such a discharge will not be deemed, or result in, a taxable event with respect to holders. This discharge would not apply to our obligations to register the transfer or exchange of debt securities, to replace stolen, lost or mutilated debt securities, to maintain paying agencies and hold moneys for payment in trust.

Defeasance of Certain Covenants

We expect that the terms of the debt securities provide us with the right not to comply with specified covenants and that specified events of default described in a subsequent filing will not apply provided we deposit with the trustee money or U.S. government obligations, or both, which through the payment of interest and principal will provide money in an amount sufficient to pay any installment of principal, premium, and interest on, and any mandatory sinking fund payments in respect of, the debt securities on the stated maturity of such payments in accordance with the terms of the debt securities and the indenture governing such debt securities. We expect that to exercise this right, we will also be required to deliver to the trustee an opinion of counsel to the effect that the deposit and related covenant defeasance should not cause the holders of such series to recognize income, gain or loss for federal income tax purposes.

We refer you to applicable subsequent filings with respect to any deletions or additions or modifications from the description contained in this prospectus.

 

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PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

We may sell our securities from time to time in one or more transactions. We may sell our securities to or through agents, underwriters, dealers, remarketing firms or other third parties or directly to one or more purchasers or through a combination of any of these methods. In some cases, we or dealers acting with us or on our behalf may also purchase our securities and reoffer them to the public. We may also offer and sell, or agree to deliver, securities pursuant to, or in connection with, any option agreement or other contractual arrangement.

Agents whom we designate may solicit offers to purchase our securities.

 

    We will name any agent involved in offering or selling our securities, and disclose any commissions that we will pay to the agent, in the applicable prospectus supplement.

 

    Unless we indicate otherwise in the applicable prospectus supplement, agents will act on a best efforts basis for the period of their appointment.

 

    Agents may be deemed to be underwriters under the Securities Act of any of our securities that they offer or sell.

We may use an underwriter or underwriters in the offer or sale of our securities.

 

    If we use an underwriter or underwriters, we will execute an underwriting agreement with the underwriter or underwriters at the time that we reach an agreement for the sale of our securities.

 

    We will include the names of the specific managing underwriter or underwriters, as well as the names of any other underwriters, and the terms of the transactions, including the compensation the underwriters and dealers will receive, in the applicable prospectus supplement.

 

    The underwriters will use the applicable prospectus supplement, together with the prospectus, to sell our securities.

If we offer our ordinary shares or preference shares (including in the form of ADSs) in a subscription rights offering to our existing shareholders, we may enter into a standby underwriting agreement with dealers acting as standby underwriters. We may pay the standby underwriters a commitment fee for the securities they commit to purchase on a standby basis. If we do not enter into a standby underwriting arrangement, we may retain a dealer-manager to manage a subscription rights offering for us.

We may use a dealer to sell our securities.

 

    If we use a dealer, we will sell our securities to the dealer, as principal.

 

    The dealer will then sell our securities to the public at varying prices that the dealer will determine at the time it sells our securities.

 

    We will include the name of the dealer and the terms of the transactions with the dealer in the applicable prospectus supplement.

One or more firms, referred to as “remarketing firms,” may also offer or sell the securities, if a prospectus supplement so indicates, in connection with a remarketing arrangement upon their purchase. Remarketing firms will act as principals for their own accounts or as our agents. These remarketing firms will offer or sell the securities in accordance with the terms of the securities. Each prospectus supplement will identify and describe any remarketing firm and the terms of its agreement, if any, with us and will describe the remarketing firm’s compensation. Remarketing firms may be deemed to be underwriters in connection with the securities they remarket. Remarketing firms may be entitled under agreements that may be entered into with us to indemnification by us against certain civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, and may be customers of, engage in transactions with or perform services for us in the ordinary course of business.

 

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We may solicit directly offers to purchase our securities, and we may directly sell our securities to institutional or other investors. We will describe the terms of direct sales in the applicable prospectus supplement.

We may engage in at the market offerings into an existing trading market in accordance with Rule 415(a)(4) of the Securities Act.

We may enter into derivative or hedging transactions with third parties or sell securities not covered by this prospectus to third parties in privately negotiated transactions. In connection with such a transaction, the third parties may sell securities covered by and pursuant to this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement. If so, the third party may use securities borrowed from us or others to settle such sales and may use securities received from us to close out any related short positions. We may also loan or pledge securities covered by this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement to third parties, who may sell the loaned securities or, in an event of default in the case of a pledge, sell the pledged securities pursuant to this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement.

Agents, underwriters and dealers participating in the distribution of the securities may be deemed to be underwriters within the meaning of the Securities Act, and any discounts and commissions received by them and any profit realized by them on resale of the securities may be deemed to be underwriting discounts and commissions. We may indemnify agents, underwriters and dealers against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. Agents, underwriters and dealers, or their affiliates, may be customers of, engage in transactions with or perform services for us or our respective affiliates, in the ordinary course of business.

We may authorize agents and underwriters to solicit offers by certain institutions to purchase our securities at the public offering price under delayed delivery contracts.

 

    If we use delayed delivery contracts, we will disclose that we are using them in the applicable prospectus supplement and will tell you when we will demand payment and when delivery of our securities will be made under the delayed delivery contracts.

 

    These delayed delivery contracts will be subject only to the conditions that we describe in the applicable prospectus supplement.

 

    We will describe in the applicable prospectus supplement the commission that underwriters and agents soliciting purchases of our securities under delayed delivery contracts will be entitled to receive.

Unless otherwise specified in connection with a particular underwritten offering of our securities, the underwriters will not be obligated to purchase offered securities unless specified conditions are satisfied, and if the underwriters do purchase any offered securities, they will purchase all offered securities.

Certain underwriters may use this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement for offers and sales related to market-making transactions in the securities. These underwriters may act as principal or agent in these transactions, and the sales will be made at prices related to prevailing market prices at the time of sale. Any underwriters involved in the sale of the securities may qualify as “underwriters” within the meaning of Section 2(a)(11) of the Securities Act. In addition, the underwriters’ commissions, discounts or concessions may qualify as underwriters’ compensation under the Securities Act and the rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc., or FINRA.

In compliance with FINRA guidelines, the maximum compensation to the underwriters or agents in connection with the sale of securities pursuant to this prospectus will not exceed 8% of the aggregate total offering price to the public of the securities as set forth on the cover page of any applicable prospectus supplement or other offering material. It is anticipated that the maximum compensation to be received in connection with the sale of the securities will be significantly less than 8% of the total offering price to the public as set forth on the cover page of any applicable prospectus supplement or other offering material.

 

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In order to facilitate the offering of the securities, certain persons participating in the offering may engage in transactions that stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the price of the securities. This may include over-allotments or short sales of the securities, which involve the sale by persons participating in the offering of more securities than we sold to them. In these circumstances, these persons would cover such over-allotments or short positions by making purchases in the open market or by exercising their over-allotment option. In addition, these persons may stabilize or maintain the price of the securities by bidding for or purchasing the applicable security in the open market or by imposing penalty bids, whereby selling concessions allowed to dealers participating in the offering may be reclaimed if the securities sold by them are repurchased in connection with stabilization transactions. The effect of these transactions may be to stabilize or maintain the market price of the securities at a level above that which might otherwise prevail in the open market. These transactions may be discontinued at any time.

The underwriters, dealers and agents may engage in other transactions with us, or perform other services for us, in the ordinary course of their business.

We may effect sales of securities in connection with forward sale, option or other types of agreements with third parties. Any distribution of securities pursuant to any forward sale agreement may be effected from time to time in one or more transactions that may take place through a stock exchange, including block trades or ordinary broker’s transactions, or through broker-dealers acting either as principal or agent, or through privately-negotiated transactions, or through an underwritten public offering, or through a combination of any such methods of sale, at market prices prevailing at the time of sale, prices relating to such prevailing market prices or at negotiated or fixed prices.

The specific terms of the lock-up provisions, if any, with respect to any given offering will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement.

The expenses of any offering of our securities will be detailed in the applicable prospectus supplement.

We will identify the specific plan of distribution, including any agents, underwriters, dealers, remarketing firms or other third parties and their compensation in the applicable prospectus supplement.

 

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LEGAL MATTERS

Certain legal matters with respect to the validity of certain of the offered securities will be passed upon for us by Clifford Chance LLP, London, England and Clifford Chance LLP, Brussels, Belgium. If the validity of any securities is also passed upon by counsel for the underwriters of an offering of those securities, that counsel will be named in the prospectus supplement relating to that offering.

 

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EXPERTS

The consolidated financial statements of Materialise NV as of December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015 and for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2017 incorporated by reference in this Prospectus have been so incorporated in reliance on the report of BDO Bedrijfsrevisoren Burg. CVBA, an independent registered public accounting firm, incorporated herein by reference, given on the authority of said firm as experts in auditing and accounting.

The financial statements of RSPRINT Powered by Materialise NV as of December 31, 2017 and 2016 and for each of the two years in the period ended December 31, 2017 incorporated by reference in this prospectus have been so incorporated in reliance on the report of BDO Bedrijfsrevisoren Burg. CVBA, independent accountants (the report on the financial statements contains an explanatory paragraph regarding RSPRINT Powered by Materialise NV’s ability to continue as a going concern), incorporated herein by reference, given on the authority of said firm as experts in auditing and accounting.

BDO Bedrijfsrevisoren Burg. CVBA, Zaventem, Belgium, is a member of the Instituut van de Bedrijfsrevisoren / Institut des Réviseurs d’Entreprises.

 

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SERVICE OF PROCESS AND ENFORCEMENT OF CIVIL LIABILITIES

We are a Belgian limited liability company and our registered offices and the majority of our assets are located outside of the United States. In addition, all of our directors and senior management and the experts named herein are residents of jurisdictions other than the United States. As a result, it may not be possible for you to effect service of process within the United States upon these individuals or our company, to enforce judgments obtained in U.S. courts against these individuals or our company in courts outside the United States, or to enforce against these individuals and our company, whether in original actions or in actions for the enforcement of judgments of U.S. courts, civil liabilities based solely upon U.S. federal or state securities laws.

The United States currently does not have a treaty with Belgium providing for the reciprocal recognition and enforcement of judgments, other than arbitral awards, in civil and commercial matters. Consequently, a final judgment rendered by any federal or state court in the United States, whether or not predicated solely upon U.S. federal or state securities laws, would not automatically be enforceable in Belgium. Actions for the enforcement of judgments of U.S. courts are regulated by Articles 22 to 25 of the 2004 Belgian Code of Private International Law. Recognition or enforcement does not imply a review of the merits of the case and is irrespective of any reciprocity requirement. A U.S. judgment will, however, not be recognized or declared enforceable in Belgium unless, in addition to compliance with certain technical provisions, the Belgian courts are satisfied that:

 

    the effect of the recognition or enforcement of judgment is not manifestly incompatible with Belgian public policy;

 

    the judgment did not violate the rights of the defendant;

 

    the judgment was not rendered in a matter where the parties did not freely dispose of their rights, with the sole purpose of avoiding the application of the law applicable according to Belgian international law;

 

    the judgment is not subject to further recourse under U.S. law;

 

    the judgment is not incompatible with a judgment rendered in Belgium or with a prior judgment rendered abroad that might be enforced in Belgium;

 

    the claim was not filed outside Belgium after a claim was filed in Belgium, if the claim filed in Belgium relates to the same parties and the same purpose and is still pending;

 

    the Belgian courts did not have exclusive jurisdiction to rule on the matter;

 

    the U.S. court did not accept its jurisdiction solely on the basis of either the presence of the plaintiff or the location of the disputed goods in the United States;

 

    the judgment relates to the validity, operation, dissolution, or liquidation of a legal entity that has its main seat in Belgium at the time of the petition of the U.S. court; and

 

    the judgment submitted to the Belgian court is authentic.

In addition, with regard to the enforcement through legal proceedings in Belgium (including the exequatur of foreign court decisions in Belgium), a registration tax at the rate of 3% of the amount of the judgment is payable by the debtor, if the sum of money which the debtor is ordered to pay by a Belgian court, or by a foreign court judgment that is either (i) automatically enforceable and registered in Belgium, or (ii) rendered enforceable by a Belgian court, exceeds €12,500. The registration tax is payable by the debtor. The creditor is jointly liable up to a maximum of one-half of the amount the creditor recovers from the debtor.

 

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WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

We have filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form F-3 under the Securities Act, including amendments and relevant exhibits and schedules, covering the underlying securities offered hereby. This prospectus, which constitutes a part of the registration statement on Form F-3, summarizes material provisions of contracts and other documents that we refer to in the prospectus. Since this prospectus does not contain all of the information contained in the registration statement, you should read the registration statement and its exhibits and schedules for further information with respect to us and the securities offered hereby.

We file annual reports on Form 20-F and other information with the SEC and furnish reports on Form 6-K to the SEC. We are not required to disclose certain other information that is required from U.S. domestic issuers. Also, as a foreign private issuer, we are exempt from the rules of the Exchange Act prescribing the furnishing of proxy statements to shareholders and our directors, senior management and principal shareholders are exempt from the reporting and short-swing profit recovery provisions contained in Section 16 of the Exchange Act.

You may review and copy the registration statement, reports and other information we file or furnish at the SEC’s public reference room at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. You may also request copies of these documents upon payment of a duplicating fee by writing to the SEC. For further information on the public reference facility, please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. The SEC maintains a website that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC at http://www.sec.gov.

As a foreign private issuer, we are also exempt from the requirements of Regulation FD (Fair Disclosure) which, generally, are meant to ensure that select groups of investors are not privy to specific information about an issuer before other investors. We are, however, still subject to the anti-fraud and anti-manipulation rules of the SEC, such as Rule 10b-5. Since many of the disclosure obligations required of us as a foreign private issuer are different than those required by other U.S. domestic reporting companies, our shareholders, potential shareholders and the investing public in general should not expect to receive information about us in the same amount and at the same time as information is received from, or provided by, other U.S. domestic reporting companies. We are liable for violations of the rules and regulations of the SEC which do apply to us as a foreign private issuer.

We have filed our amended and restated articles of association and all other deeds that are to be published in the annexes to the Belgian State Gazette with the clerk’s office of the Commercial Court of Leuven (Belgium), where they are available to the public. A copy of our amended and restated articles of association is also publicly available as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. In accordance with Belgian law, we must prepare audited annual statutory and consolidated financial statements. The audited annual statutory and consolidated financial statements and the reports of our board and statutory auditor relating thereto are filed with the Belgian National Bank, where they are available to the public.

 

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INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN INFORMATION BY REFERENCE

The SEC allows us to incorporate by reference the information we file with it, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to another document that we have filed separately with the SEC. You should read the information incorporated by reference because it is an important part of this prospectus. We incorporate by reference the following information or documents that we have filed with the SEC:

 

    our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2017 filed with the SEC on April 30, 2018;

 

    Amendment No. 1 to our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2017 filed with the SEC on May 30, 2018;

 

    Amendment No. 2 to our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2017 filed with the SEC on June 26, 2018; and

 

    the descriptions of our ordinary shares and ADSs contained in our Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed with the SEC on June 20, 2014 and any amendments or reports filed for the purpose of updating such description.

All annual reports on Form 20-F and any amendment thereto and any report on Form 6-K (or portion thereof) that expressly indicates it is being incorporated by reference in this prospectus, in each case, that we file with or furnish to the SEC prior to the termination or completion of the offering under this prospectus (including all such reports or documents we may file with or furnish to the SEC on or after the date on which the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part is first filed with the SEC and prior to the effectiveness of the registration statement), will also be incorporated by reference into this prospectus and deemed to be part of this prospectus from the date of the filing or furnishing of such reports and documents. 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.

Any statement contained in any document incorporated by reference herein shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this prospectus to the extent that a statement contained in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement modifies or supersedes such statement. Any statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this prospectus.

All of the documents that are incorporated by reference are available at the website maintained by the SEC at http://www.sec.gov. In addition, copies of all documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus, other than exhibits to those documents unless such exhibits are specifically incorporated by reference in this prospectus, will be provided at no cost to each person, including any beneficial owner, to whom a copy of this prospectus is delivered on the written or oral request of that person made to: Materialise NV, Technologielaan 15, 3001 Leuven, Belgium, Attention: Chief Legal Counsel.

 

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Table of Contents

PART II INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS.

Item 8. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

Under Belgian law, the directors of a company may be liable for damages to the company in case of improper performance of their duties. Our directors may be liable to our company and to third parties for infringement of our articles of association or Belgian company law. Under certain circumstances, directors may be criminally liable. We maintain liability insurance for the benefit of our directors and senior management.

In order to provide enhanced liability protection for its directors and to attract and retain highly qualified individuals to act as directors, our board of directors has agreed to indemnify each current and future member of the board of directors to the maximum extent permitted by law, except if the liability or expense is covered by insurance taken by our company or if the liability of a director would arise out of such director’s fraud or willful misconduct.

Item 9. Exhibits.

See the Exhibit Index on page II-4 for a list of exhibits filed as part of this Registration Statement on Form F-3.

Item 10. Undertakings.

(a) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

(1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:

(i) To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act;

(ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the SEC pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than 20 percent change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement;

(iii) To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement;

Provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i), (ii), and (iii) of this section do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the SEC by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement, or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is part of the registration statement.

(2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

(3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.

(4) To file a post-effective amendment to the registration statement to include any financial statements required by Item 8.A. of Form 20-F at the start of any delayed offering or throughout a continuous offering.

 

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Financial statements and information otherwise required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act need not be furnished, provided, that the registrant includes in the prospectus, by means of a post-effective amendment, financial statements required pursuant to this paragraph (a)(4) and other information necessary to ensure that all other information in the prospectus is at least as current as the date of those financial statements. Notwithstanding the foregoing, with respect to registration statements on Form F-3, a post-effective amendment need not be filed to include financial statements and information required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act or Rule 3-19 of Regulation S-X if such financial statements and information are contained in periodic reports filed with or furnished to the SEC by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in the Form F-3.

(5) That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act to any purchaser:

(i) Each prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the registration statement; and

(ii) Each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5), or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii), or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by Section 10(a) of the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which that prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date.

(6) That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities, the undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:

(i) Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;

(ii) Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant;

(iii) The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and

(iv) Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser.

(b) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of

 

II-2


Table of Contents

the Exchange Act) that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

(c) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers or persons controlling the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, the registrant has 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. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act, and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

(d) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to file an application for the purpose of determining the eligibility of the trustee to act under subsection (a) of Section 310 of the Trust Indenture Act in accordance with the rules and regulations prescribed by the SEC under Section 305(b)2 of the Trust Indenture Act.

 

II-3


Table of Contents

INDEX TO EXHIBITS

 

Exhibit
Number

  

Description of Exhibit

  1.1*    Form of Underwriting Agreement
  4.1    Articles of Association of Materialise NV (English translation) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 1.1 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2017)
  4.2    Form of Deposit Agreement, among Materialise NV and The Bank of New York Mellon (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form F-1 (File No. 333-194982))
  4.3    Form of American Depositary Receipt (included in Exhibit 4.2)
  4.4*    Form of Deed of Amendment with respect to any preference shares issued hereunder
  4.5*    Form of Warrant Agreement (including Warrant Certificate)
  4.6*    Form of Rights Agreement (including Rights Certificate)
  4.7*    Form of Unit Agreement
  4.8    Form of Indenture
  4.9    2007 Warrant Plan (English translation) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form F-1 (File No. 333-194982))
  4.10    2013 Warrant Plan (English translation) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form F-1 (File No. 333-194982))
  4.11    2014 Warrant Plan (English translation) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form F-1 (File No. 333-194982))
  4.12    Form of Warrant Agreement under 2014 Warrant Plan (English translation) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.6 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-8 (File No. 333-197236))
  4.13    2015 Warrant Plan (English translation) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.5 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2015)
  4.14    Form of Warrant Agreement under 2015 Warrant Plan (English translation) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.4 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-8 (File No. 333-212445)
  4.15    Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of September 15, 2016, by and among Materialise NV and the Holders party thereto (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.8 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form F-3 (File No. 333-213649))
  5.1    Opinion of Clifford Chance LLP
  5.2    Opinion of Clifford Chance LLP
12.1    Statement of Computation of Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges
23.1    Consent of BDO Bedrijfsrevisoren Burg. CVBA, independent registered public accounting firm
23.2    Consent of BDO Bedrijfsrevisoren Burg. CVBA, independent accountants
23.3    Consents of Clifford Chance LLP and Clifford Chance LLP (included in Exhibits 5.1 and 5.2)
24.1    Powers of Attorney (included on the signature page)
25.1**    Form T-1 Statement of Eligibility of Trustee for Indenture under the Trustee Indenture Act of 1939

 

* To be filed, if necessary, as an exhibit to a post-effective amendment to this registration statement or as an exhibit to a report filed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and incorporated herein by reference.
** To be filed pursuant to Section 305(b)(2) of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended.

 

II-4


Table of Contents

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form F-3 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in Leuven, Belgium on the 29th day of June, 2018.

 

MATERIALISE NV
By:  

/s/ Wilfried Vancraen

Name:

  Wilfried Vancraen
Title:   Chief Executive Officer

POWER OF ATTORNEY

Each person whose signature appears below hereby constitutes and appoints Wilfried Vancraen, Johan Albrecht and Peter Leys and each of them, as his attorney-in-fact and agent, with full power of substitution and resubstitution for him in any and all capacities, to sign any or all amendments or post-effective amendments to this registration statement, or any registration statement for the same offering that is to be effective upon filing pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and to file the same, with exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto such attorney-in-fact and agent full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary in connection with such matters and hereby ratifying and confirming all that such attorney-in-fact and agent or his substitutes may do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

 

    Signatures    Title   Date
By:  

/s/ Wilfried Vancraen

  

Chief Executive Officer

(Principal Executive Officer)

  June 29, 2018
  Wilfried Vancraen     
By:  

/s/ Johan Albrecht

  

Chief Financial Officer

(Principal Financial Officer and

Principal Accounting Officer)

  June 29, 2018
  Alfinco BVBA, represented by     
  Johan Albrecht     
By:  

/s/ Peter Leys

   Executive Chairman   June 29, 2018
  Peter Leys     
By:  

/s/ Johan De Lille

   Director   June 29, 2018
  A Tre C CVOA, represented by     
  Johan De Lille     
By:  

/s/ Hilde Ingelaere

   Director   June 29, 2018
  Hilde Ingelaere     
By:  

/s/ Pol Ingelaere

   Director   June 29, 2018
  Pol Ingelaere     
By:  

/s/ Jürgen Ingels

   Director   June 29, 2018
  Jürgen Ingels     

 

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Table of Contents
    Signatures    Title   Date
By:  

/s/ Jos Vander Sloten

   Director   June 29, 2018
  Jos Vander Sloten     
By:  

/s/ Godelieve Verplancke

   Director   June 29, 2018
  Godelieve Verplancke     
By:  

/s/ Bart Luyten

   Director   June 29, 2018
  Bart Luyten     

 

II-6


Table of Contents

SIGNATURE OF AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE IN THE UNITED STATES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the undersigned, the registrant’s duly authorized representative in the United States, has signed this registration statement in Plymouth, Michigan on the 29th day of June, 2018.

 

MATERIALISE USA, LLC
By:  

/s/ Bryan L. Crutchfield

Name:   Bryan L. Crutchfield
Title:   Vice President & General Manager

 

II-7

EX-4.8

Exhibit 4.8

Dated as of [                ], 20[    ]

MATERIALISE NV

as Company

and

[                ]

as Trustee

 

 

FORM OF INDENTURE

 

 

 


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

          Page  

ARTICLE I DEFINITIONS AND INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

     1  

Section 1.01.

  

Definitions

     1  

Section 1.02.

  

Other Definitions

     5  

Section 1.03.

  

Incorporation by Reference of TIA

     5  

Section 1.04.

  

Rules of Construction

     6  

ARTICLE II THE SECURITIES

     6  

Section 2.01.

  

Issuable in Series

     6  

Section 2.02.

  

Establishment of Terms of Series of Securities

     6  

Section 2.03.

  

Execution and Authentication

     8  

Section 2.04.

  

Registrar and Paying Agent

     9  

Section 2.05.

  

Paying Agent to Hold Money in Trust

     10  

Section 2.06.

  

Securityholder Lists

     10  

Section 2.07.

  

Transfer and Exchange

     10  

Section 2.08.

  

Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Securities

     11  

Section 2.09.

  

Outstanding Securities

     12  

Section 2.10.

  

Treasury Securities

     12  

Section 2.11.

  

Temporary Securities

     12  

Section 2.12.

  

Cancellation

     13  

Section 2.13.

  

Defaulted Interest

     13  

Section 2.14.

  

Global Securities

     13  

Section 2.15.

  

CUSIP Numbers

     15  

ARTICLE III REDEMPTION

     15  

Section 3.01.

  

Notice to Trustee

     15  

Section 3.02.

  

Selection of Securities to be Redeemed

     16  

Section 3.03.

  

Notice of Redemption

     16  

Section 3.04.

  

Effect of Notice of Redemption

     16  

Section 3.05.

  

Deposit of Redemption Price

     17  

Section 3.06.

  

Securities Redeemed in Part

     17  

ARTICLE IV COVENANTS

     17  

Section 4.01.

  

Payment of Principal and Interest

     17  

Section 4.02.

  

SEC Reports

     17  

 

- i -


Section 4.03.

  

Compliance Certificate

     18  

Section 4.04.

  

Stay, Extension and Usury Laws

     18  

Section 4.05.

  

Corporate Existence

     19  

Section 4.06.

  

Taxes

     19  

Section 4.07.

  

Additional Interest Notice

     19  

Section 4.08.

  

Further Instruments and Acts

     19  

ARTICLE V SUCCESSORS

     19  

Section 5.01.

  

When Company May Merge, Etc

     19  

Section 5.02.

  

Successor Corporation Substituted

     20  

ARTICLE VI DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES

     20  

Section 6.01.

  

Events of Default

     20  

Section 6.02.

  

Acceleration of Maturity; Rescission and Annulment

     22  

Section 6.03.

  

Collection of Indebtedness and Suits for Enforcement by Trustee

     23  

Section 6.04.

  

Trustee May File Proofs of Claim

     24  

Section 6.05.

  

Trustee May Enforce Claims Without Possession of Securities

     24  

Section 6.06.

  

Application of Money Collected

     24  

Section 6.07.

  

Limitation on Suits

     25  

Section 6.08.

  

Unconditional Right of Holders to Receive Principal and Interest

     25  

Section 6.09.

  

Restoration of Rights and Remedies

     25  

Section 6.10.

  

Rights and Remedies Cumulative

     26  

Section 6.11.

  

Delay or Omission Not Waiver

     26  

Section 6.12.

  

Control by Holders

     26  

Section 6.13.

  

Waiver of Past Defaults

     26  

Section 6.14.

  

Undertaking for Costs

     27  

ARTICLE VII TRUSTEE

     27  

Section 7.01.

  

Duties of Trustee

     27  

Section 7.02.

  

Rights of Trustee

     28  

Section 7.03.

  

Individual Rights of Trustee

     29  

Section 7.04.

  

Trustee’s Disclaimer

     29  

Section 7.05.

  

Notice of Defaults

     29  

Section 7.06.

  

Reports by Trustee to Holders

     29  

Section 7.07.

  

Compensation and Indemnity

     30  

Section 7.08.

  

Replacement of Trustee

     30  

Section 7.09.

  

Successor Trustee by Merger, etc

     31  

 

- ii -


Section 7.10.

  

Eligibility; Disqualification

     31  

Section 7.11.

  

Preferential Collection of Claims Against Company

     31  

ARTICLE VIII SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE; DEFEASANCE

     32  

Section 8.01.

  

Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture

     32  

Section 8.02.

  

Application of Trust Funds; Indemnification

     33  

Section 8.03.

  

Legal Defeasance of Securities of any Series

     33  

Section 8.04.

  

Covenant Defeasance

     35  

Section 8.05.

  

Repayment to Company

     36  

ARTICLE IX AMENDMENTS AND WAIVERS

     36  

Section 9.01.

  

Without Consent of Holders

     36  

Section 9.02.

  

With Consent of Holders

     37  

Section 9.03.

  

Limitations

     37  

Section 9.04.

  

Compliance with TIA

     38  

Section 9.05.

  

Revocation and Effect of Consents

     38  

Section 9.06.

  

Notation on or Exchange of Securities

     38  

Section 9.07.

  

Trustee Protected

     39  

Section 9.08.

  

Effect of Supplemental Indenture

     39  

ARTICLE X MISCELLANEOUS

     39  

Section 10.01.

  

TIA Controls

     39  

Section 10.02.

  

Notices

     39  

Section 10.03.

  

Communication by Holders with Other Holders

     40  

Section 10.04.

  

Certificate and Opinion as to Conditions Precedent

     40  

Section 10.05.

  

Statements Required in Certificate or Opinion

     41  

Section 10.06.

  

Record Date for Vote or Consent of Holders

     41  

Section 10.07.

  

Rules by Trustee and Agents

     41  

Section 10.08.

  

Legal Holidays

     41  

Section 10.09.

  

No Recourse Against Others

     41  

Section 10.10.

  

Counterparts

     42  

Section 10.11.

  

Governing Laws and Submission to Jurisdiction

     42  

Section 10.12.

  

No Adverse Interpretation of Other Agreements

     42  

Section 10.13.

  

Successors

     42  

Section 10.14.

  

Severability

     42  

Section 10.15.

  

Table of Contents, Headings, Etc

     42  

Section 10.16.

  

Securities in a Foreign Currency or in ECU

     43  

 

- iii -


Section 10.17.

  

Judgment Currency

     43  

Section 10.18.

  

Compliance with Applicable Anti-Terrorism and Money Laundering Regulations

     44  

ARTICLE XI SINKING FUNDS

     44  

Section 11.01.

  

Applicability of Article

     44  

Section 11.02.

  

Satisfaction of Sinking Fund Payments with Securities

     44  

Section 11.03.

  

Redemption of Securities for Sinking Fund

     45  

 

- iv -


Reconciliation and tie between U.S. Trust Indenture Act of 1939 and Indenture, dated as of [                ], 20[    ]

 

Section 310(a)(1)

   7.10

(a)(2)

   7.10

(a)(3)

   Not Applicable

(a)(4)

   Not Applicable

(a)(5)

   7.10

(b)

   7.10

(c)

   Not Applicable

Section 311(a)

   7.11

(b)

   7.11

(c)

   Not Applicable

Section 312(a)

   2.06

(b)

   10.03

(c)

   10.03

Section 313(a)

   7.06

(b)(1)

   7.06

(b)(2)

   7.06

(c)(1)

   7.06

(d)

   7.06

Section 314(a)

   4.02, 10.05

(b)

   Not Applicable

(c)(1)

   10.04

(c)(2)

   10.04

(c)(3)

   Not Applicable

(d)

   Not Applicable

(e)

   10.05

(f)

   Not Applicable

Section 315(a)

   7.01

(b)

   7.05

(c)

   7.01

(d)

   7.01

(e)

   6.14

Section 316(a)(1)(A)

   6.12

(a)(1)(B)

   6.13

(a)(2)

   Not Applicable

(b)

   6.13

(c)

   10.06

Section 317(a)(1)

   6.03

(a)(2)

   6.04

(b)

   2.05

Section 318(a)

   10.01

Note:    This reconciliation and tie shall not, for any purpose, be deemed to be part of the Indenture.

 

 

- v -


INDENTURE dated as of [                ], 20[    ] between MATERIALISE NV, a limited liability company organized under the laws of the Kingdom of Belgium (the “Company”), and [                ] (the “Trustee”).

Each party agrees as follows for the benefit of the other party and for the equal and ratable benefit of the Holders of the Securities issued under this Indenture.

ARTICLE I

DEFINITIONS AND INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

Section 1.01.    Definitions.

Additional Amounts” means any additional amounts which are required hereby or by any Security, under circumstances specified herein or therein, to be paid by the Company in respect of certain taxes imposed on Holders specified therein and which are owing to such Holders.

Affiliate” of any specified person means any other person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with such specified person. For the purposes of this definition, “control” (including, with correlative meanings, the terms “controlled by” and “under common control with”), as used with respect to any person, shall mean the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of such person, whether through the ownership of voting securities or by agreement or otherwise.

Agent” means any Registrar or Paying Agent.

Bankruptcy Law” means Title 11 of the United States Code (or any successor thereto) or any similar U.S. federal or state law for the relief of debtors.

Board of Directors” means the board of directors of the Company or any duly authorized committee thereof.

Board Resolution” means a copy of a resolution certified by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company to have been adopted by the Board of Directors or pursuant to authorization by the Board of Directors and to be in full force and effect on the date of the certificate and delivered to the Trustee.

Business Day” means, with respect to any place of payment or other location, any day other than a (x) Saturday, (y) Sunday or (z) day on which banking institutions in such place of payment or other location are authorized or obligated by law, regulation or executive order to close.

Capital Stock” of any Person means any and all shares, interests, rights to purchase, warrants, options, participations or other equivalents of or interests in (however designated) equity of such Person, but excluding any debt securities convertible into such equity.

 


Certificated Securities” means Securities in the form of physical, certificated Securities in registered form.

Company” means the party named as such above until a successor replaces it in accordance with the terms of this Indenture and thereafter means the successor.

Company Order” means a written order signed in the name of the Company by two Officers, one of whom must be the Company’s principal executive officer, principal financial officer or principal accounting officer.

Company Request” means a written request signed in the name of the Company by its Chief Executive Officer, its Executive Chairman, a President, an Executive Vice President or a Vice President, and by its Chief Financial Officer, its Treasurer, its Secretary, an Assistant Treasurer or an Assistant Secretary, and delivered to the Trustee.

Corporate Trust Office” means the office of the Trustee at which at any particular time its corporate trust business shall be principally administered which office at the date of the execution of this Indenture is [    ], Attention: [    ], or at such other address as the Trustee may designate from time to time.

Custodian” means any receiver, trustee, assignee, liquidator, sequestrator or similar official under any Bankruptcy Law.

Default” or “default” means any event which is, or after notice or passage of time or both would be, an Event of Default.

Default Rate” means the default rate of interest specified in the Securities.

Depository” means, with respect to the Securities of any Series issuable or issued in whole or in part in the form of one or more Global Securities, the person designated as Depository for such Series by the Company, which Depository shall be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act; and if at any time there is more than one such person, “Depository” as used with respect to the Securities of any Series shall mean the Depository with respect to the Securities of such Series.

Discount Security” means any Security that provides for an amount less than the stated principal amount thereof to be due and payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity thereof pursuant to Section 6.02.

Dollars” means the currency of the United States of America.

ECU” means the European Currency Unit as determined by the Commission of the European Union.

Exchange Act” means the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

Foreign Currency” means any currency or currency unit issued by a government other than the government of the United States of America.

 

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Foreign Government Obligations” means with respect to Securities of any Series that are denominated in a Foreign Currency, (i) direct obligations of the government that issued or caused to be issued such currency for the payment of which obligations its full faith and credit is pledged or (ii) obligations of a person controlled or supervised by or acting as an agency or instrumentality of such government the timely payment of which is unconditionally guaranteed as a full faith and credit obligation by such government, which, in either case under clauses (i) or (ii), are not callable or redeemable at the option of the issuer thereof.

Global Security” or “Global Securities” means a Security or Securities, as the case may be, in the form established pursuant to Section 2.02 evidencing all or part of a Series of Securities, issued to the Depository for such Series or its nominee, and registered in the name of such Depository or nominee.

Holder” or “Securityholder” means a person in whose name a Security is registered.

Indenture” means this Indenture as amended and supplemented from time to time and shall include the form and terms of particular Series of Securities established as contemplated hereunder.

Interest”, in respect of the Securities, unless the context otherwise requires, refers to interest payable on the Securities, including any additional interest that may become payable pursuant to Section 6.02(b).

Maturity”, when used with respect to any Security or installment of principal thereof, means the date on which the principal of such Security or such installment of principal becomes due and payable as therein or herein provided, whether at the Stated Maturity or by declaration of acceleration, call for redemption, notice of option to elect repayment or otherwise.

Officer” means the Chief Executive Officer, the Executive Chairman, the Chief Financial Officer, the Treasurer, the Secretary, any Executive Vice President, any Vice President, any Assistant Treasurer or any Assistant Secretary of the Company.

Officers’ Certificate” means a certificate signed by two Officers, one of whom must be the Company’s principal executive officer, principal financial officer or principal accounting officer.

Opinion of Counsel” means a written opinion of legal counsel who is, and which opinion is, acceptable to the Trustee and its counsel. Such legal counsel may be an employee of or counsel to the Company or the Trustee.

Person” means any individual, corporation, partnership, joint venture, association, limited liability company, joint-stock company, trust, unincorporated organization or government or any agency or political subdivision thereof.

Principal” or “principal” of a Security means the principal of the Security plus, when appropriate, the premium, if any, on, and any Additional Amounts in respect of, the Security.

 

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Responsible Officer” means any officer of the Trustee in its Corporate Trust Office and also means, any vice president, managing director, director, associate, assistant vice president, or any other officer of the Trustee customarily performing functions similar to those performed by any of the above designated officers and also, with respect to a particular corporate trust matter, any other officer to whom any corporate trust matter is referred because of his or her knowledge of and familiarity with a particular subject.

SEC” means the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Security” or “Securities” means the debentures, notes or other debt instruments of the Company of any Series authenticated and delivered under this Indenture.

Series” or “Series of Securities” means each series of debentures, notes or other debt instruments of the Company created pursuant to Sections 2.01 and 2.02 hereof.

Stated Maturity” when used with respect to any Security or any installment of principal thereof or interest thereon, means the date specified in such Security as the fixed date on which the principal of such Security or such installment of principal or interest is due and payable.

Subsidiary” means, in respect of any Person, any corporation, association, partnership or other business entity of which more than 50% of the total voting power of shares of Capital Stock or other interests (including partnership interests) entitled (without regard to the occurrence of any contingency) to vote in the election of directors, managers, general partners or trustees thereof is at the time owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by (i) such Person; (ii) such Person and one or more Subsidiaries of such Person; or (iii) one or more Subsidiaries of such Person.

TIA” means the U.S. Trust Indenture Act of 1939 as in effect on the date of this Indenture; provided, however, that in the event the U.S. Trust Indenture Act of 1939 is amended after such date, “TIA” means, to the extent required by any such amendment, the U.S. Trust Indenture Act of 1939 as so amended.

Trustee” means the person named as the “Trustee” in the first paragraph of this instrument until a successor Trustee shall have become such pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter “Trustee” shall mean or include each person who is then a Trustee hereunder, and if at any time there is more than one such person, “Trustee” as used with respect to the Securities of any Series shall mean the Trustee with respect to Securities of that Series.

U.S. Government Obligations” means securities which are (i) direct obligations of the United States of America for the payment of which its full faith and credit is pledged or (ii) obligations of a person controlled or supervised by and acting as an agency or instrumentality of the United States of America the payment of which is unconditionally guaranteed as a full faith and credit obligation by the United States of America, and which in the case of (i) and (ii) are not callable or redeemable at the option of the issuer thereof, and shall also include a depository receipt issued by a bank or trust company as custodian with respect to any such U.S. Government Obligation or a specific payment of interest on or principal of any such U.S. Government Obligation held by such custodian for the account of the holder of a depository receipt, provided that (except as required by law) such custodian is not authorized to make any deduction from the amount payable to the holder of such depository receipt from any amount received by the custodian in respect of the U.S. Government Obligation evidenced by such depository receipt.

 

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Section 1.02.    Other Definitions.

 

Term

   Defined in
section
 

Applicable Law

     10.18  

Event of Default

     6.01  

IFRS

     1.04  

Instrument

     6.01  

Journal

     10.16  

Judgment Currency

     10.17  

Legal Holiday

     10.08  

mandatory sinking fund payment

     11.01  

Market Exchange Rate

     10.16  

New York Banking Day

     10.17  

optional sinking fund payment

     11.01  

Paying Agent

     2.04  

Registrar

     2.04  

Required Currency

     10.17  

successor person

     5.01  

Temporary Securities

     2.11  

Section 1.03.    Incorporation by Reference of TIA. Whenever this Indenture refers to a provision of the TIA, the provision is incorporated by reference in and made a part of this Indenture. This Indenture shall also include those provisions of the TIA required to be included herein by the provisions of the U.S. Trust Indenture Reform Act of 1990. The following TIA terms used in this Indenture have the following meanings:

indenture securities” means the Securities.

indenture security holder” means a Securityholder.

indenture to be qualified” means this Indenture.

indenture trustee” or “institutional trustee” means the Trustee.

obligor” on the indenture securities means the Company and any successor obligor upon the Securities.

All other terms used in this Indenture that are defined by the TIA, defined by TIA reference to another statute or defined by SEC rule under the TIA and not otherwise defined herein are used herein as so defined.

 

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Section 1.04.    Rules of Construction. Unless the context otherwise requires:

(a)    a term has the meaning assigned to it;

(b)    an accounting term not otherwise defined has the meaning assigned to it in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (collectively “IFRS”);

(c)    references to “IFRS” shall mean IFRS in effect as of the time when and for the period as to which such reporting standards are to be applied;

(d)    “or” is not exclusive;

(e)    words in the singular include the plural, and in the plural include the singular;

(f)    provisions apply to successive events and transactions;

(g)    references to agreements and other instruments include subsequent amendments thereto;

(h)    the term “merger” includes a statutory share exchange, and the term “merged” has a correlative meaning; and

(i)    “herein”, “hereof” and other words of similar import refer to this Indenture as a whole and not to any particular Article, Section or other subdivision.

ARTICLE II

THE SECURITIES

Section 2.01.    Issuable in Series. The aggregate principal amount of Securities that may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture is unlimited. The Securities may be issued in one or more Series. All Securities of a Series shall be identical except as may be set forth in a Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture or an Officers’ Certificate detailing the adoption of the terms thereof pursuant to the authority granted under a Board Resolution. In the case of Securities of a Series to be issued from time to time, the Board Resolution, Officers’ Certificate or supplemental indenture may provide for the method by which specified terms (such as interest rate, maturity date, record date or date from which interest shall accrue) are to be determined. Securities may differ between Series in respect of any matters, provided that all Series of Securities shall be equally and ratably entitled to the benefits of the Indenture.

Section 2.02.    Establishment of Terms of Series of Securities. At or prior to the issuance of any Securities within a Series, the following shall be established (as to the Series generally, in the case of Subsection (a), and either as to such Securities within the Series or as to the Series generally in the case of Subsections (b) through (t) by a Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture or an Officers’ Certificate pursuant to authority granted under a Board Resolution:

 

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(a)    the title, designation, aggregate principal amount and authorized denominations of the Securities of the Series;

(b)    the price or prices, (expressed as a percentage of the aggregate principal amount thereof) at which the Securities of the Series will be issued;

(c)    the date or dates on which the principal of the Securities of the Series is payable;

(d)    the rate or rates (which may be fixed or variable) per annum or, if applicable, the method used to determine such rate or rates (including, but not limited to, any commodity, commodity index, stock exchange index or financial index) at which the Securities of the Series shall bear interest, if any, the date or dates from which such interest, if any, shall commence and be payable and any regular record date for the interest payable on any interest payment date;

(e)    any optional or mandatory sinking fund provisions or conversion or exchangeability provisions upon which Securities of the Series shall be redeemed, purchased, converted or exchanged;

(f)    the date, if any, after which and the price or prices at which the Securities of the Series may be optionally redeemed or must be mandatorily redeemed and any other terms and provisions of optional or mandatory provisions;

(g)    if other than denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof, the denominations in which the Securities of the Series shall be issuable;

(h)    if other than the full principal amount, the portion of the principal amount of the Securities of the Series that shall be payable upon declaration of acceleration pursuant to Section 6.02 or provable in bankruptcy;

(i)    any addition to or change in the Events of Default which applies to any Securities of the Series and any change in the right of the Trustee or the requisite Holders of such Securities to declare the principal amount thereof due and payable pursuant to Section 6.02;

(j)    the currency or currencies, including composite currencies, in which payments of principal of, premium or interest, if any, on the Securities of the Series will be payable, if other than the currency of the United States of America;

(k)    if payments of principal of, premium or interest, if any, on the Securities of the Series will be payable, at the Company’s election or at the election of any Holder, in a currency other than that in which the Securities of the Series are stated to be payable, the period or periods within which, and the terms and conditions upon which, the election may be made;

(l)    if payments of interest, if any, on the Securities of the Series will be payable, at the Company’s election or at the election of any Holder, in cash or additional securities, and the terms and conditions upon which the election may be made;

 

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(m)    if denominated in a currency or currencies other than the currency of the United States of America, the equivalent price of the Securities of the Series in the currency of the United States of America for purposes of determining the voting rights of Holders of the Securities of the Series;

(n)    if the amount of payments of principal, premium or interest may be determined with reference to an index, formula or other method based on a coin or currency other than that in which the Securities of the Series are stated to be payable, the manner in which the amounts will be determined;

(o)    any restrictive covenants or other material terms relating to the Securities of the Series;

(p)    whether the Securities of the Series will be issued in the form of global securities or certificates in registered form;

(q)    any terms with respect to subordination;

(r)    any listing on any securities exchange or quotation system;

(s)    additional provisions, if any, related to defeasance and discharge of the offered debt securities; and

(t)    the applicability of any guarantees, which would be governed by New York law.

All Securities of any one Series need not be issued at the same time and may be issued from time to time, consistent with the terms of this Indenture, if so provided by or pursuant to the Board Resolution, supplemental indenture or Officers’ Certificate referred to above, and the authorized principal amount of any Series may not be increased to provide for issuance of additional Securities of such Series, unless otherwise provided in such Board Resolution, supplemental indenture or Officers’ Certificate.

Section 2.03.    Execution and Authentication. Two Officers shall sign the Securities for the Company by manual or facsimile signature.

If an Officer whose signature is on a Security no longer holds that office at the time the Security is authenticated, the Security shall nevertheless be valid.

A Security shall not be valid until authenticated by the manual signature of the Trustee or an authenticating agent. The signature shall be conclusive evidence that the Security has been authenticated under this Indenture.

The Trustee shall at any time, and from time to time, authenticate Securities for original issue in the principal amount provided in the Board Resolution, supplemental indenture hereto or Officers’ Certificate, upon receipt by the Trustee of a Company Order. Such Company Order may authorize authentication and delivery pursuant to oral or electronic instructions from the Company or its duly authorized agent or agents, which oral instructions shall be promptly confirmed in writing. Each Security shall be dated the date of its authentication unless otherwise provided by a Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officers’ Certificate.

 

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The aggregate principal amount of Securities of any Series outstanding at any time may not exceed any limit upon the maximum principal amount for such Series set forth in the Board Resolution, supplemental indenture hereto or Officers’ Certificate delivered pursuant to Section 2.02, except as provided in Section 2.08.

Prior to the issuance of Securities of any Series, the Trustee shall have received and (subject to Section 7.02) shall be fully protected in relying on: (a) the Board Resolution, supplemental indenture hereto or Officers’ Certificate establishing the form of the Securities of that Series or of Securities within that Series and the terms of the Securities of that Series or of Securities within that Series, (b) an Officers’ Certificate complying with Section 10.04, and (c) an Opinion of Counsel complying with Section 10.04.

The Trustee shall have the right to decline to authenticate and deliver any Securities of such Series: (a) if the Trustee, being advised by counsel, determines that such action may not lawfully be taken; or (b) if a Responsible Officer of the Trustee in good faith shall determine that such action would expose the Trustee to personal liability to Holders of any then outstanding Series of Securities.

The Trustee may appoint an authenticating agent acceptable to the Company to authenticate Securities. An authenticating agent may authenticate Securities whenever the Trustee may do so. Each reference in this Indenture to authentication by the Trustee includes authentication by such agent. An authenticating agent has the same rights as an Agent to deal with the Company or an Affiliate.

If any successor that has replaced the Company in accordance with Article 5 has executed an indenture supplemental hereto with the Trustee pursuant to Section 5.01, any of the Securities authenticated or delivered prior to such transaction may, from time to time, at the request of such successor, be exchanged for other Securities executed in the name of the such successor with such changes in phraseology and form as may be appropriate, but otherwise identical to the Securities surrendered for such exchange and of like principal amount; and the Trustee, upon receipt of a Company Order of such successor, shall authenticate and deliver Securities as specified in such order for the purpose of such exchange. If Securities shall at any time be authenticated and delivered in any new name of such successor pursuant to this provision of Section 2.03 in exchange or substitution for or upon registration of transfer of any Securities, such successor, at the option of the Holders but without expense to them, shall provide for the exchange of all Securities then outstanding for Securities authenticated and delivered in such new name.

Section 2.04.    Registrar and Paying Agent. The Company shall maintain, with respect to each Series of Securities, at the place or places specified with respect to such Series pursuant to Section 2.02, an office or agency where Securities of such Series may be presented or surrendered for payment (“Paying Agent”) and where Securities of such Series may be surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange (“Registrar”). The Registrar shall keep a register with respect to each Series of Securities and to their transfer and exchange. The

 

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Company will give prompt written notice to the Trustee of the name and address, and any change in the name or address, of each Registrar and Paying Agent. If at any time the Company shall fail to maintain any such required Registrar or Paying Agent or shall fail to furnish the Trustee with the name and address thereof, such presentations and surrenders may be made or served at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, and the Company hereby appoints the Trustee as its agent to receive all such presentations and surrenders.

The Company may also from time to time designate one or more co-registrars or additional paying agents and may from time to time rescind such designations; provided, however, that no such designation or rescission shall in any manner relieve the Company of its obligations to maintain a Registrar or Paying Agent in each place so specified pursuant to Section 2.02 for Securities of any Series for such purposes. The Company will give prompt written notice to the Trustee of any such designation or rescission and of any change in the name or address of any such co-registrar or additional paying agent. The term “Registrar” includes any co-registrar; and the term “Paying Agent” includes any additional paying agent.

The Company hereby appoints [                ] as the initial Registrar and Paying Agent for each Series unless another Registrar or Paying Agent as the case may be, is appointed prior to the time Securities of that Series are first issued. Each Registrar and Paying Agent shall be entitled to all of the rights, protections, exculpations and indemnities afforded to the Trustee in connection with its roles as Registrar and Paying Agent.

Section 2.05.    Paying Agent to Hold Money in Trust. The Company shall require each Paying Agent other than the Trustee to agree in writing that the Paying Agent will hold in trust, for the benefit of Securityholders of any Series of Securities, or the Trustee, all money held by the Paying Agent for the payment of principal of or interest on the Series of Securities, and will notify the Trustee of any default by the Company in making any such payment. While any such default continues, the Trustee may require a Paying Agent to pay all money held by it to the Trustee. The Company at any time may require a Paying Agent to pay all money held by it to the Trustee. Upon payment over to the Trustee, the Paying Agent (if other than the Company or a Subsidiary) shall have no further liability for the money. If the Company or a Subsidiary acts as Paying Agent, it shall segregate and hold in a separate trust fund for the benefit of Securityholders of any Series of Securities all money held by it as Paying Agent.

Section 2.06.    Securityholder Lists. The Trustee shall preserve in as current a form as is reasonably practicable the most recent list available to it of the names and addresses of Securityholders of each Series of Securities and shall otherwise comply with TIA Section 312(a). If the Trustee is not the Registrar, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee at least [    ] days before each interest payment date and at such other times as the Trustee may request in writing a list, in such form and as of such date as the Trustee may reasonably require, of the names and addresses of Securityholders of each Series of Securities.

Section 2.07.    Transfer and Exchange. Where Securities of a Series are presented to the Registrar or a co-registrar with a request to register a transfer or to exchange them for an equal principal amount of Securities of the same Series, the Registrar shall register the transfer or make the exchange if its requirements for such transactions are met. To permit registrations of transfers and exchanges, the Trustee shall authenticate Securities at the Registrar’s request. Any

 

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exchange or transfer shall be without charge, except that the Company or the Registrar may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge required by law; provided that this sentence shall not apply to any exchange pursuant to Section 2.11, 2.08, 3.06 or 9.06.

Neither the Company nor the Registrar shall be required (a) to issue, register the transfer of, or exchange Securities of any Series for the period beginning at the opening of business [    ] days immediately preceding the delivery of a notice of redemption of Securities of that Series selected for redemption and ending at the close of business on the day of such delivery, or (b) to register the transfer of or exchange Securities of any Series selected, called or being called for redemption as a whole or the portion being redeemed of any such Securities selected, called or being called for redemption in part.

All Securities issued upon any transfer or exchange of Securities shall be valid obligations of the Company, evidencing the same debt and entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture, as the Securities surrendered upon such transfer or exchange. Any Registrar appointed pursuant to Section 2.04 shall provide to the Trustee such information as the Trustee may reasonably require in connection with the delivery by such Registrar of Securities upon transfer or exchange of Securities. Each Holder of a Security agrees to indemnify the Company and the Trustee against any liability that may result from the transfer, exchange or assignment of such Holder’s Security in violation of any provision of this Indenture and/or applicable U.S. federal or state securities law.

Section 2.08.    Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Securities. If any mutilated Security is surrendered to the Registrar, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver in exchange therefor a new Security of the same Series and of like tenor and principal amount and bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding.

If there shall be delivered to the Company and the Registrar (i) evidence to their satisfaction of the destruction, loss or theft of any Security and (ii) such security or indemnity as may be required by them to save each of them and any agent of either of them harmless, then, in the absence of notice to the Company or the Registrar that such Security has been acquired by a bona fide purchaser, the Company shall execute and upon its request the Trustee shall authenticate and make available for delivery, in lieu of any such destroyed, lost or stolen Security, a new Security of the same Series and of like tenor and principal amount and bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding.

In case any such mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security has become or is about to become due and payable, the Company in its discretion may, instead of issuing a new Security, pay such Security.

Upon the issuance of any new Security under this Section, the Company may require the payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in relation thereto and any other expenses (including the fees and expenses of the Trustee) connected therewith.

 

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Every new Security of any series issued pursuant to this Section in lieu of any destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall constitute an original additional contractual obligation of the Company, whether or not the destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall be at any time enforceable by anyone, and shall be entitled to all the benefits of this Indenture equally and proportionately with any and all other Securities of that Series duly issued hereunder.

The provisions of this Section are exclusive and shall preclude (to the extent lawful) all other rights and remedies with respect to the replacement or payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Securities.

Section 2.09.    Outstanding Securities. The Securities outstanding at any time are all the Securities authenticated by the Trustee except for those canceled by it, those delivered to it for cancellation, those reductions in the interest on a Global Security effected by the Trustee in accordance with the provisions hereof and those described in this Section as not outstanding.

If a Security is replaced pursuant to Section 2.08, it ceases to be outstanding until the Trustee receives proof satisfactory to it that the replaced Security is held by a bona fide purchaser.

If the Paying Agent (other than the Company, a Subsidiary or an Affiliate of any thereof) holds on the Maturity of Securities of a Series money sufficient to pay such Securities payable on that date, then on and after that date such Securities of the Series cease to be outstanding and interest on them ceases to accrue.

A Security does not cease to be outstanding because the Company or an Affiliate holds the Security.

In determining whether the Holders of the requisite principal amount of outstanding Securities have given any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver hereunder, the principal amount of a Discount Security that shall be deemed to be outstanding for such purposes shall be the amount of the principal thereof that would be due and payable as of the date of such determination upon a declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 6.02.

Section 2.10.    Treasury Securities. In determining whether the Holders of the required principal amount of Securities of a Series have concurred in any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver Securities of a Series owned by the Company or an Affiliate shall be disregarded, except that for the purposes of determining whether the Trustee shall be protected in relying on any such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver only Securities of a Series that a Responsible Officer of the Trustee actually knows are so owned shall be so disregarded.

Section 2.11.    Temporary Securities. Until definitive Securities are ready for delivery, the Company may prepare and the Trustee shall authenticate temporary securities upon a Company Order (“Temporary Securities”). Temporary Securities shall be substantially in the form of definitive Securities but may have variations that the Company considers appropriate for temporary Securities. Without unreasonable delay, the Company shall prepare and the Trustee upon written request shall authenticate definitive Securities of the same Series and date of maturity in exchange for temporary Securities. Until so exchanged, temporary securities shall have the same rights under this Indenture as the definitive Securities.

 

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Section 2.12.    Cancellation. The Company at any time may deliver Securities to the Trustee for cancellation. The Registrar and the Paying Agent shall forward to the Trustee or its agent any Securities surrendered to them for transfer, exchange, payment or conversion. The Trustee and no one else shall cancel, in accordance with its standard procedures, all Securities surrendered for transfer, exchange, payment, conversion or cancellation and shall deliver the cancelled Securities to the Company. No Security shall be authenticated in exchange for any Security cancelled pursuant to this Section 2.12.

The Company may, to the extent permitted by law, purchase Securities in the open market or by tender offer at any price or by private agreement. Any Securities purchased or otherwise acquired by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries prior to the final maturity of such Securities may, to the extent permitted by law, be reissued or resold or may, at the option of the Company, be surrendered to the Trustee for cancellation. Any Securities surrendered for cancellation may not be reissued or resold and shall be promptly cancelled by the Trustee, and the Company may not hold or resell such Securities or issue any new Securities to replace any such Securities.

Section 2.13.    Defaulted Interest. If the Company defaults in a payment of interest on a Series of Securities, it shall pay defaulted interest, plus, to the extent permitted by law, any interest payable on the defaulted interest at the Default Rate, to the persons who are Security holders of the Series on a subsequent special record date. The Company shall fix the record date and payment date. At least [ ] days before the record date, the Company shall deliver to the Trustee and the Paying Agent and to each Securityholder of the Series a notice that states the record date, the payment date and the amount of interest to be paid. The Company may pay defaulted interest in any other lawful manner.

Section 2.14.    Global Securities. (a) A Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officers’ Certificate shall establish whether the Securities of a Series shall be issued in whole or in part in the form of one or more Global Securities and the Depository for such Global Security or Securities.

(b)    (i) Notwithstanding any provisions to the contrary contained in Section 2.07 of the Indenture and in addition thereto, any Global Security shall be exchangeable pursuant to Section 2.07 of the Indenture for Securities registered in the names of Holders other than the Depository for such Security or its nominee only if (A) such Depository notifies the Company that it is unwilling or unable to continue as Depository for such Global Security or if at any time such Depository ceases to be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act, and, in either case, the Company fails to appoint a successor Depository within 90 days of such event, (B) the Company executes and delivers to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate to the effect that such Global Security shall be so exchangeable or (C) an Event of Default with respect to the Securities represented by such Global Security shall have happened and be continuing.

 

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(ii)    Except as provided in this Section 2.14(b), a Global Security may not be transferred except as a whole by the Depository with respect to such Global Security to a nominee of such Depository, by a nominee of such Depository to such Depository or another nominee of such Depository or by the Depository or any such nominee to a successor Depository or a nominee of such a successor Depository.

(iii)    Securities issued in exchange for a Global Security or any portion thereof shall be issued in definitive, fully registered form, without interest coupons, shall have an aggregate principal amount equal to that of such Global Security or portion thereof to be so exchanged, shall be registered in such names and be in such authorized denominations as the Depository shall designate and shall bear the applicable legends provided for herein. Any Global Security to be exchanged in whole shall be surrendered by the Depository to the Trustee, as Registrar. With regard to any Global Security to be exchanged in part, either such Global Security shall be so surrendered for exchange or, if the Registrar is acting as custodian for the Depository or its nominee with respect to such Global Security, the principal amount thereof shall be reduced by an amount equal to the portion thereof to be so exchanged, by means of an appropriate adjustment made on the records of the Trustee. Upon any such surrender or adjustment, the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver the Security issuable on such exchange to or upon the order of the Depository or an authorized representative thereof.

(iv)    The registered Holder may grant proxies and otherwise authorize any Person, including participants in the Depository and persons that may hold interests through participants in the Depository, to take any action which a Holder is entitled to take under this Indenture or the Securities.

(v)    In the event of the occurrence of any of the events specified in Section 2.14(b)(i), the Company will promptly make available to the Trustee a reasonable supply of Certificated Securities in definitive, fully registered form, without interest coupons. If (A) an event described in Section 2.14(b)(i)(A) or (B) occurs and definitive Certificated Securities are not issued promptly to all beneficial owners or (B) the Registrar receives from a beneficial owner instructions to obtain definitive Certificated Securities due to an event described in Section 2.14(b)(i)(C) and definitive Certificated Securities are not issued promptly to any such beneficial owner, the Company expressly acknowledges, with respect to the right of any Holder to pursue a remedy pursuant to Section 6.07 hereof, the right of any beneficial owner of Securities to pursue such remedy with respect to the portion of the Global Security that represents such beneficial owner’s Securities as if such definitive certificated Securities had been issued.

(vi)    Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary in this Indenture, so long as a Global Security remains outstanding and is held by or on behalf of the Depository, transfers of a Global Security, in whole or in part, or of any beneficial interest therein, shall only be made in accordance with Section 2.07, this Section 2.14(b) and the rules and procedures of the Depository for such Global Security to the extent applicable to such transaction and as in effect from time to time.

 

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(c)    Any Global Security issued hereunder shall bear a legend in substantially the following form:

“This Security is a Global Security within the meaning of the Indenture hereinafter referred to and is registered in the name of the Depository or a nominee of the Depository. This Security is exchangeable for Securities registered in the name of a person other than the Depository or its nominee only in the limited circumstances described in the Indenture, and may not be transferred except as a whole by the Depository to a nominee of the Depository, by a nominee of the Depository to the Depository or another nominee of the Depository or by the Depository or any such nominee to a successor Depository or a nominee of such a successor Depository.”

(d)    The Depository, as a Holder, may appoint agents and otherwise authorize participants to give or take any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action which a Holder is entitled to give or take under the Indenture.

(e)    Notwithstanding the other provisions of this Indenture, unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 2.02, payment of the principal of and interest, if any, on any Global Security shall be made to the Holder thereof at their registered office.

(f)    At all times the Securities are held in book-entry form with a Depository, (i) the Trustee may deal with such Depository as the authorized representative of the Holders, (ii) the rights of the Holders shall be exercised only through the Depository and shall be limited to those established by law and agreement between the Holders and the Depository and/or direct participants of the Depository, (iii) the Depository will make book-entry transfers among the direct participants of the Depository and will receive and transmit distributions of principal and interest on the Securities to such direct participants; and (iv) the direct participants of the Depository shall have no rights under this Indenture, or any supplement hereto, under or with respect to any of the Securities held on their behalf by the Depository, and the Depository may be treated by the Trustee and its agents, employees, officers and directors as the absolute owner of the Securities for all purposes whatsoever.

Section 2.15.    CUSIP Numbers. The Company in issuing the Securities may use “CUSIP”, “CCN”, “ISIN” or other identification numbers (if then generally in use), and, if so, the Trustee shall use “CUSIP”, “CCN”, “ISIN” or such other identification numbers in notices of redemption as a convenience to Holders; provided that any such notice may state that no representation is made as to the correctness of such numbers either as printed on the Securities or as contained in any notice of a redemption and that reliance may be placed only on the other elements of identification printed on the Securities, and any such redemption shall not be affected by any defect in or omission of such numbers.

ARTICLE III

REDEMPTION

Section 3.01.    Notice to Trustee. The Company may, with respect to any series of Securities, reserve the right to redeem and pay the Series of Securities or may covenant to redeem and pay the Series of Securities or any part thereof prior to the Stated Maturity thereof at such time and on such terms as provided for in such Securities. If a Series of Securities is redeemable and the Company wants or is obligated to redeem prior to the Stated Maturity thereof all or part of the Series of Securities pursuant to the terms of such Securities, it shall notify the Trustee and Registrar in writing of the redemption date and the principal amount of Series of Securities to be redeemed. The Company shall give the notice at least [    ] days before the redemption date (or such shorter notice as may be acceptable to the Trustee and Registrar).

 

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Section 3.02.    Selection of Securities to be Redeemed. Unless otherwise indicated for a particular Series by a Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture or an Officers’ Certificate, if less than all the Securities of a Series are to be redeemed, the Registrar shall select the Securities of the Series to be redeemed in accordance with its customary procedures. The Registrar shall make the selection from Securities of the Series outstanding not previously called for redemption. The Registrar may select for redemption portions of the principal of Securities of the Series that have denominations larger than $1,000. Securities of the Series and portions of them it selects shall be in amounts of $1,000 or whole multiples of $1,000 or, with respect to Securities of any Series issuable in other denominations pursuant to Section 2.02(g), the minimum principal denomination for each Series and integral multiples thereof. Provisions of this Indenture that apply to Securities of a Series called for redemption also apply to portions of Securities of that Series called for redemption.

Section 3.03.    Notice of Redemption. Unless otherwise indicated for a particular Series by Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officers’ Certificate, at least [    ] days but not more than [    ] days before a redemption date, the Company shall deliver a notice of redemption to each Holder whose Securities are to be redeemed.

The notice shall identify the Securities of the Series to be redeemed and shall state:

(a)    the redemption date;

(b)    the redemption price;

(c)    the name and address of the Paying Agent;

(d)    that Securities of the Series called for redemption must be surrendered to the Paying Agent to collect the redemption price;

(e)    that interest on Securities of the Series called for redemption ceases to accrue on and after the redemption date; and

(f)    any other information as may be required by the terms of the particular Series or the Securities of a Series being redeemed.

At the Company’s written request, the Trustee shall distribute the notice of redemption prepared by the Company in the Company’s name and at its expense.

Section 3.04.    Effect of Notice of Redemption. Once notice of redemption is delivered as provided in Section 3.03, Securities of a Series called for redemption become due and payable on the redemption date and at the redemption price. A notice of redemption may not be conditional. Upon surrender to the Paying Agent, such Securities shall be paid at the redemption price plus accrued interest to the redemption date.

 

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Section 3.05.    Deposit of Redemption Price. On or before the redemption date, the Company shall deposit with the Paying Agent money sufficient to pay the redemption price of and accrued interest, if any, on all Securities to be redeemed on that date.

Section 3.06.    Securities Redeemed in Part. Upon surrender of a Security that is redeemed in part, the Trustee shall authenticate for the Holder a new Security of the same Series and the same maturity equal in principal amount to the unredeemed portion of the Security surrendered.

ARTICLE IV

COVENANTS

Section 4.01.    Payment of Principal and Interest. The Company covenants and agrees for the benefit of the Holders of each Series of Securities that it will duly and punctually pay the principal of and interest, if any, on the Securities of that Series in accordance with the terms of such Securities and this Indenture.

Unless otherwise provided under the terms of a particular Series of Securities:

(a)    an installment of principal or interest shall be considered paid on the date it is due if the Paying Agent (other than the Company) holds by [    ] [a].m., New York City time, on that date money, deposited by the Company or an Affiliate thereof, sufficient to pay such installment. The Company shall (in immediately available funds), to the fullest extent permitted by law, pay interest on overdue principal and overdue installments of interest at the rate borne by the Securities per annum; and

(b)    payment of the principal of and interest on the Securities shall be made at the office or agency of the Company maintained for that purpose in [    ] (which shall initially be [    ], the Paying Agent) in such coin or currency of the United States of America as at the time of payment is legal tender for payment of public and private debts; provided, however, that at the option of the Company payment of interest may be made by check mailed to the address of the Person entitled thereto as such address appears in the register; provided, further, that a Holder with an aggregate principal amount in excess of $[    ] will be paid by wire transfer in immediately available funds at the election of such Holder if such Holder has provided wire transfer instructions to the Company at least [    ] Business Days prior to the payment date.

Section 4.02.    SEC Reports. So long as any Securities are outstanding, the Company will furnish to the Trustee, within 15 days after it files the same with the SEC, copies of the annual reports and of the information, documents and other reports that, if it is subject to the reporting requirements of either Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, it files with the SEC pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d). If the Company is not required to file with the SEC information, documents or reports pursuant to either of those sections of the Exchange Act, then it will furnish to the Trustee and file with the SEC such reports, if any, as may be prescribed by the SEC pursuant to the TIA at such time, in each case within 15 days after it files the same with the SEC. The Company also shall comply with the other provisions of TIA Section 314(a).

 

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Delivery of such reports, information and documents to the Trustee is for informational purposes only, and the Trustee’s receipt of such shall not constitute constructive notice of any information contained therein or determinable from information contained therein, including the Company’s compliance with any of its covenants hereunder (as to which the Trustee is entitled to rely exclusively on Officers’ Certificates). The Company shall not be required to file any report or other information with the SEC if the SEC does not permit such filing, although such reports shall be furnished to the Trustee. Documents filed by the Company with the SEC via the SEC’s EDGAR system (or any successor thereto) will be deemed furnished to the Trustee and the Holders of the Securities as of the time such documents are filed via EDGAR (or such successor).

Section 4.03.    Compliance Certificate. The Company shall deliver to the Trustee, within [                ] days after the end of each fiscal year of the Company, an officers certificate signed by two of the Company’s officers stating that a review of the activities of the Company and its Subsidiaries during the preceding fiscal year has been made under the supervision of the signing Officers with a view to determining whether the Company has kept, observed, performed and fulfilled its obligations under this Indenture, and further stating, as to each such Officer signing such certificate, that to the best of his knowledge the Company has kept, observed, performed and fulfilled each and every covenant contained in this Indenture and is not in default in the performance or observance of any of the terms, provisions and conditions hereof (or, if a Default or Event of Default shall have occurred, describing all such Defaults or Events of Default of which he may have knowledge in reasonable detail and the efforts to remedy the same). For purposes of this Section 4.03, compliance shall be determined without regard to any grace period or requirement of notice provided pursuant to the terms of this Indenture.

The Company shall deliver to the Trustee, within [    ] days after the occurrence thereof, written notice in the form of an Officers’ Certificate of any Event of Default described in Section 6.01(e), (f), (g) or (h) and any event of which it becomes aware that with the giving of notice or the lapse of time would become such an Event of Default, its status and what action the Company is taking or proposes to take with respect thereto. For the avoidance of doubt, a breach of a covenant under an Instrument that is not a payment default and that has not given rise to a right of acceleration under such Instrument shall not trigger the requirement to provide notice under this paragraph.

Section 4.04.    Stay, Extension and Usury Laws. The Company covenants (to the extent that it may lawfully do so) that it will not at any time insist upon, plead, or in any manner whatsoever claim or take the benefit or advantage of, any stay, extension or usury law wherever enacted, now or at any time hereafter in force, which may affect the covenants or the performance of this Indenture or the Securities; and the Company (to the extent it may lawfully do so) hereby expressly waives all benefit or advantage of any such law and covenants that it will not, by resort to any such law, hinder, delay or impede the execution of any power herein granted to the Trustee, but will suffer and permit the execution of every such power as though no such law has been enacted.

 

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Section 4.05.    Corporate Existence. Subject to Article V, the Company will do or cause to be done all things necessary to preserve and keep in full force and effect its corporate existence and the corporate, partnership or other existence of each Subsidiary in accordance with the respective organizational documents of each Subsidiary and the rights (charter and statutory), licenses and franchises of the Company and its Subsidiaries; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to preserve any such right, license or franchise, or the corporate, partnership or other existence of any Subsidiary, if the Board of Directors shall determine that the preservation thereof is no longer desirable in the conduct of the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole and that the loss thereof is not adverse in any material respect to the Holders.

Section 4.06.    Taxes. The Company shall, and shall cause each of its Subsidiaries to, pay prior to delinquency all material taxes, assessments and governmental levies, except as contested in good faith and by appropriate proceedings or where the failure effect such payment is not adverse in any material respect to the Holders.

Section 4.07.    Additional Interest Notice. In the event that the Company is required to pay additional interest to Holders of Securities pursuant to Section 6.02(b) hereof, the Company shall provide a direction or order in the form of a written notice to the Trustee (and if the Trustee is not the Paying Agent, the Paying Agent) of the Company’s obligation to pay such additional interest no later than [                ] Business Days prior to date on which any such additional interest is scheduled to be paid. Such notice shall set forth the amount of additional interest to be paid by the Company on such payment date and direct the Trustee (or, if the Trustee is not the Paying Agent, the Paying Agent) to make payment to the extent it receives funds from the Company to do so. The Trustee shall not at any time be under any duty or responsibility to any Holder to determine whether additional interest is payable, or with respect to the nature, extent, or calculation of the amount of additional interest owed, or with respect to the method employed in such calculation of additional interest.

Section 4.08.    Further Instruments and Acts. So long as any of the Securities remain outstanding, upon request of the Trustee, but without an affirmative duty on the Trustee to do so, the Company will execute and deliver such further instruments and do such further acts as may be reasonably necessary or proper to carry out more effectively the purposes of this Indenture.

ARTICLE V

SUCCESSORS

Section 5.01.    When Company May Merge, Etc. The Company shall not consolidate with, enter into a binding share exchange, or merge into any other Person in a transaction in which it is not the surviving entity, or sell, assign, convey, transfer or lease or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of its properties and assets to any Person (a “successor person”), unless:

(a)    the successor person (if any) is a corporation, partnership, trust or other entity organized and validly existing under the laws of the Kingdom of Belgium, the United States of America, any state of the United States of America or the District of Columbia or any other country which is a member of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and expressly assumes by a supplemental indenture executed and delivered to the Trustee, in form satisfactory to the Trustee, the due and punctual payment of the principal of, and any interest on, all Securities and the performance or observance of every covenant of this Indenture on the part of the Company to be performed or observed;

 

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(b)    immediately after giving effect to the transaction, no Default or Event of Default, shall have occurred and be continuing; and

(c)    the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee, prior to the consummation of the proposed transaction, an Officers’ Certificate to the foregoing effect and an Opinion of Counsel stating that the proposed transaction and such supplemental indenture comply with this Indenture.

Section 5.02.    Successor Corporation Substituted. Upon any consolidation or merger, or any sale, lease, conveyance or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company in accordance with Section 5.01, the successor person formed by such consolidation or into or with which the Company is merged or to which such sale, lease, conveyance or other disposition is made shall succeed to, and be substituted for, and may exercise every right and power of, the Company under this Indenture with the same effect as if such successor person has been named as the Company herein; provided, however, that the predecessor company in the case of a sale, lease, conveyance or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company shall not be released from the obligation to pay the principal of and interest, if any, on the Securities.

ARTICLE VI

DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES

Section 6.01.    Events of Default. “Event of Default”, wherever used herein with respect to securities of any Series, means any one of the following events, unless in the establishing Board Resolution, supplemental indenture or Officers’ Certificate, it is provided that such Series shall not have the benefit of said Event of Default:

(a)    default in the payment of any interest on any Security of that Series when it becomes due and payable, and continuance of such default for a period of 30 days (unless the entire amount of such payment is deposited by the Company with the Trustee or with a Paying Agent prior to the expiration of such period of 30 days); or

(b)    default in the payment of any principal of any Security of that Series at its Maturity; or

(c)    default in the deposit of any sinking fund payment, when and as due in respect of any Security of that Series; or

(d)    the Company fails to perform or comply with any of its other covenants or agreements contained in the Securities or in this Indenture (other than a covenant or agreement a default in whose performance or whose breach is specifically dealt with in clauses (a), (b) or (c) of this Section 6.01) and the default continues for 60 days after notice is given as specified below;

 

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(e)    any indebtedness under any bond, debenture, note or other evidence of indebtedness for money borrowed by the Company or any Subsidiary or under any mortgage, indenture or instrument under which there may be issued or by which there may be secured or evidenced any indebtedness for money borrowed by, or any other payment obligation of, the Company or any Subsidiary (an “Instrument”) with a principal amount then, individually or in the aggregate, outstanding in excess of $[    ], whether such indebtedness now exists or shall hereafter be created, is not paid at Maturity or when otherwise due or is accelerated, and such indebtedness is not discharged, or such default in payment or acceleration is not cured or rescinded, within a period of 30 days after there shall have been given, by registered or certified mail, to the Company by the Trustee or to the Company and the Trustee by the Holders of at least [    ]% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Securities of that Series a written notice specifying such default and requiring the Company to cause such indebtedness to be discharged or cause such default to be cured or waived or such acceleration to be rescinded or annulled and stating that such notice is a “Notice of Default” hereunder. A payment obligation (other than indebtedness under any bond, debenture, note or other evidence of indebtedness for money borrowed by the Company or any Subsidiary or under any mortgage, indenture or instrument under which there may be issued or by which there may be secured or evidenced any indebtedness for money borrowed by the Company or any Subsidiary) shall not be deemed to have matured, come due, or been accelerated to the extent that it is being disputed by the relevant obligor or obligors in good faith. For the avoidance of doubt, the Maturity of an Instrument is the Maturity as set forth in that Instrument, as it may be amended from time to time in accordance with the terms of that Instrument;

(f)    the Company or any Subsidiary fails to pay one or more final and non-appealable judgments entered by a court or courts of competent jurisdiction, the aggregate uninsured or unbonded portion of which is in excess of $[    ], if the judgments are not paid, discharged, waived or stayed within [    ] days;

(g)    the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company, pursuant to or within the meaning of any Bankruptcy Law:

(i)    commences a voluntary case or proceeding;

(ii)    consents to the entry of an order for relief against it in an involuntary case or proceeding;

(iii)    consents to the appointment of a Custodian of it or for all or substantially all of its property; or

(iv)    makes a general assignment for the benefit of its creditors; or

(v)    or generally is unable to pay its debts as the same become due; or

 

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(h)    a court of competent jurisdiction enters an order or decree under any Bankruptcy Law that:

(i)    is for relief against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries in an involuntary case or proceeding;

(ii)    appoints a Custodian of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries for all or substantially all of the property of the Company or any such Subsidiary; or

(iii)    orders the liquidation of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries;

and in the case of each of clause (i), (ii) and (iii), the order or decree remains unstayed and in effect for [    ] consecutive days; or

(i)    any other Event of Default provided with respect to Securities of that Series, which is specified in a Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officers’ Certificate, in accordance with Section 2.02(i).

A default under clause (d) above is not an Event of Default until the Trustee notifies the Company, or the Holders of at least [    ]% in aggregate principal amount of the Securities then outstanding notify the Company and the Trustee, in writing of the default, and the Company does not cure the default within 60 days after receipt of such notice. The notice given pursuant to this Section 6.01 must specify the default, demand that it be remedied and state that the notice is a “Notice of Default”. When any default under this Section 6.01 is cured, it ceases.

The Trustee shall not be charged with knowledge of any Event of Default unless written notice thereof shall have been given to a Trust Officer at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee by the Company, a Paying Agent, any Holder or any agent of any Holder.

Section 6.02.    Acceleration of Maturity; Rescission and Annulment. (a) If an Event of Default (other than an Event of Default specified in clause (g) or (h) of Section 6.01) occurs and is continuing with respect to any Securities of any Series, then in every such case, the Trustee may, by notice to the Company, or the Holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of that Series (or, if any Securities of that Series are Discount Securities, such portion of the principal amount as may be specified in the terms of such Securities) then outstanding may, by notice to the Company and the Trustee, declare all unpaid principal of, and accrued and unpaid interest on to the date of acceleration, the Securities of that Series then outstanding (if not then due and payable) to be due and payable upon any such declaration, and the same shall become and be immediately due and payable. If an Event of Default specified in clause (g) or (h) of Section 6.01 occurs, all unpaid principal of the Securities then outstanding, and all accrued and unpaid interest thereon to the date of acceleration, shall ipso facto become and be immediately due and payable without any declaration or other act on the part of the Trustee or any Holder. The Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of that Series then outstanding by notice to the Trustee may rescind an acceleration of such Securities of that Series and its consequences if (a) all existing Events of Default, other than the nonpayment of the principal of the Securities which has become due solely by such declaration of acceleration, have been cured or waived; (b) to the extent the payment of such interest is lawful, interest (calculated at the Default Rate) on overdue installments of interest and overdue

 

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principal, which has become due otherwise than by such declaration of acceleration, has been paid; (c) the rescission would not conflict with any judgment or decree of a court of competent jurisdiction; and (d) all payments due to the Trustee and any predecessor Trustee under Section 7.07 have been made. No such rescission shall affect any subsequent default or impair any right consequent thereto.

(b)    Notwithstanding any of provision of this Article 6, at the election of the Company in its sole discretion, the sole remedy under this Indenture for an Event of Default relating to the failure to comply with Section 4.02, and for any failure to comply with the requirements of Section 314(a)(1) of the TIA, will consist, for the 180 days after the occurrence of such an Event of Default, exclusively of the right to receive additional interest on the Securities at a rate equal to 0.50% per annum of the aggregate principal amount of the Securities then outstanding up to, but not including, the 181st day thereafter (or, if applicable, the earlier date on which the Event of Default relating to Section 4.02 is cured or waived). Any such additional interest will be payable in the same manner and on the same dates as the stated interest payable on the Securities. In no event shall additional interest accrue under the terms of this Indenture at a rate in excess of 0.50% per annum, in the aggregate, for any violation or default caused by the failure of the Company to be current in respect of its Exchange Act reporting obligations. If the Event of Default is continuing on the 181st day after an Event of Default relating to a failure to comply with Section 4.02, the Securities will be subject to acceleration as provided in this Section 6.02. The provisions of this Section 6.02(b) will not affect the rights of Holders in the event of the occurrence of any other Events of Default.

In order to elect to pay additional interest as the sole remedy during the first 180 days after the occurrence of an Event of Default relating to the failure to comply with Section 4.02 in accordance with the immediately preceding paragraph, the Company shall notify all Holders and the Trustee and Paying Agent of such election on or before the close of business on the fifth Business Day after the date on which such Event of Default otherwise would occur. Upon a failure by the Company to timely give such notice or pay additional interest, the Securities will be immediately subject to acceleration as otherwise provided in this Section 6.02.

Section 6.03.    Collection of Indebtedness and Suits for Enforcement by Trustee. If an Event of Default with respect to any Securities of any Series occurs and is continuing, the Trustee may in its discretion proceed to protect and enforce its rights and the rights of the Holders of Securities of such Series by such appropriate judicial proceedings as the Trustee shall deem most effectual to protect and enforce any such rights, whether for the specific enforcement of any covenant or agreement in this Indenture or in aid of the exercise of any power granted herein, or to enforce any other proper remedy.

If an Event of Default in the payment of principal, interest, if any, specified in clause (a) or (b) of Section 6.01 occurs and is continuing, the Trustee may recover judgment in its own name and as trustee of an express trust against the Company or another obligor on the Securities for the whole amount of principal, and accrued interest remaining unpaid, if any, together with, to the extent that payment of such interest is lawful, interest on overdue principal, on overdue installments of interest, if any, in each case at the Default Rate, and such further amount as shall be sufficient to cover the costs and expenses of collection, including the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel.

 

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Section 6.04.    Trustee May File Proofs of Claim. In case of the pendency of any receivership, insolvency, liquidation, bankruptcy, reorganization, arrangement, adjustment, composition or other judicial proceeding relative to the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities or the property of the Company or of such other obligor or their creditors, the Trustee (irrespective of whether the principal of the Securities shall then be due and payable as therein expressed or by declaration or otherwise and irrespective of whether the Trustee shall have made any demand on the Company for the payment of overdue principal or interest) shall be entitled and empowered, by intervention in such proceeding or otherwise,

(a)    to file and prove a claim for the whole amount of principal and interest owing and unpaid in respect of the Securities and to file such other papers or documents as may be necessary or advisable in order to have the claims of the Trustee (including any claim for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel) and of the Holders allowed in such judicial proceeding, and

(b)    to collect and receive any moneys or other property payable or deliverable on any such claims and to distribute the same, and any custodian, receiver, assignee, trustee, liquidator, sequestrator or other similar official in any such judicial proceeding is hereby authorized by each Holder to make such payments to the Trustee and, in the event that the Trustee shall consent to the making of such payments directly to the Holders, to pay to the Trustee any amount due it for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, and any other amounts due the Trustee under Section 7.07.

Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to authorize the Trustee to authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Holder any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the Securities or the rights of any Holder thereof or to authorize the Trustee to vote in respect of the claim of any Holder in any such proceeding.

Section 6.05.    Trustee May Enforce Claims Without Possession of Securities. All rights of action and claims under this Indenture or the Securities may be prosecuted and enforced by the Trustee without the possession of any of the Securities or the production thereof in any proceeding relating thereto, and any such proceeding instituted by the Trustee shall be brought in its own name as trustee of an express trust, and any recovery of judgment shall, after provision for the payment of the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, be for the ratable benefit of the Holders of the Securities in respect of which such judgment has been recovered.

Section 6.06.    Application of Money Collected. Any money collected by the Trustee pursuant to this Article shall be applied in the following order, at the date or dates fixed by the Trustee and, in case of the distribution of such money on account of principal or interest, upon presentation of the Securities and the notation thereon of the payment if only partially paid and upon surrender thereof if fully paid: and

First: To the payment of all amounts due the Trustee under Section 7.07;

 

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Second: To the payment of the amounts then due and unpaid for principal of and interest on the Securities in respect of which or for the benefit of which such money has been collected, ratably, without preference or priority of any kind, according to the amounts due and payable on such Securities for principal and interest, respectively; and

Third: To the Company.

Section 6.07.    Limitation on Suits. No Holder of any Security of any Series shall have any right to institute any proceeding, judicial or otherwise, with respect to this Indenture or the Securities or any related coupon, or for the appointment of a receiver or trustee, or for any other remedy hereunder (except actions for payment of overdue principal and interest), unless:

(a)    such Holder has previously given written notice to the Trustee of a continuing Event of Default with respect to the Securities of that Series;

(b)    the Holders of not less than [    ]% in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of that Series shall have made written request to the Trustee to institute proceedings in respect of such Event of Default in its own name as Trustee hereunder;

(c)    such Holder or Holders have offered to the Trustee indemnity satisfactory to it against the costs, expenses and liabilities to be incurred in compliance with such request;

(d)    the Trustee for [    ] days after its receipt of such notice, request and offer of indemnity has failed to institute any such proceeding; and

(e)    no direction inconsistent with such written request has been given to the Trustee during such [    ]-day period by the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of that Series; it being understood and intended that no one or more of such Holders shall have any right in any manner whatever by virtue of, or by availing of, any provision of this Indenture to affect, disturb or prejudice the rights of any other of such Holders, or to obtain or to seek to obtain priority or preference over any other of such Holders or to enforce any right under this Indenture, except in the manner herein provided and for the equal and ratable benefit of all such Holders.

Section 6.08.    Unconditional Right of Holders to Receive Principal and Interest. Notwithstanding any other provision in this Indenture, the Holder of any Security shall have the right, which is absolute and unconditional, to receive payment of the principal of and interest, if any, on such Security on the Stated Maturity or Stated Maturities expressed in such Security (or, in the case of redemption, on the redemption date) and to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment, and such rights shall not be impaired without the consent of such Holder.

Section 6.09.    Restoration of Rights and Remedies. If the Trustee or any Holder has instituted any proceeding to enforce any right or remedy under this Indenture and such proceeding has been discontinued or abandoned for any reason, or has been determined adversely to the Trustee or to such Holder, then and in every such case, subject to any determination in such proceeding, the Company, the Trustee and the Holders shall be restored severally and respectively to their former positions hereunder and thereafter all rights and remedies of the Trustee and the Holders shall continue as though no such proceeding had been instituted.

 

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Section 6.10.    Rights and Remedies Cumulative. Except as otherwise provided with respect to the replacement or payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Securities in Section 2.08, no right or remedy herein conferred upon or reserved to the Trustee or to the Holders is intended to be exclusive of any other right or remedy, and every right and remedy shall, to the extent permitted by law, be cumulative and in addition to every other right and remedy given hereunder or now or hereafter existing at law or in equity or otherwise. The assertion or employment of any right or remedy hereunder, or otherwise, shall not prevent the concurrent assertion or employment of any other appropriate right or remedy.

Section 6.11.    Delay or Omission Not Waiver. No delay or omission of the Trustee or of any Holder of any Securities to exercise any right or remedy accruing upon any Event of Default shall impair any such right or remedy or constitute a waiver of any such Event of Default or an acquiescence therein. Every right and remedy given by this Article or by law to the Trustee or to the Holders may be exercised from time to time, and as often as may be deemed expedient, by the Trustee or by the Holders, as the case may be.

Section 6.12.    Control by Holders. The Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of any Series shall 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 Securities of such Series, provided that

(a)    such direction shall not be in conflict with any rule of law or with this Indenture,

(b)    the Trustee may take any other action deemed proper by the Trustee which is not inconsistent with such direction; and

(c)    subject to the provisions of Section 6.01, the Trustee shall have the right to decline to follow any such direction if the Trustee in good faith shall, by a Responsible Officer of the Trustee, determine that the proceeding so directed would involve the Trustee in personal liability or would be unduly prejudicial to the rights of another Holder or the Trustee.

Section 6.13.    Waiver of Past Defaults. Subject to Section 9.02, the Holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of any Series may on behalf of the Holders of all the Securities of such Series waive any past Default hereunder with respect to such Series and its consequences, except a Default in the payment of the principal of or interest on any Security of such Series (provided, however, that the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of any Series may rescind an acceleration and its consequences, including any related payment default that resulted from such acceleration). Upon any such waiver, such Default shall cease to exist, and any Event of Default arising therefrom shall be deemed to have been cured, for every purpose of this Indenture; but no such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or other Default or impair any right consequent thereon.

 

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Section 6.14.    Undertaking for Costs. All parties to this Indenture agree, and each Holder of any Security by his acceptance thereof shall be deemed to have agreed, that any court may in its discretion require, in any suit for the enforcement of any right or remedy under this Indenture, or in any suit against the Trustee for any action taken, suffered or omitted by it as Trustee, the filing by any party litigant in such suit of an undertaking to pay the costs of such suit, and that such court may in its discretion assess reasonable costs, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, against any party litigant in such suit, having due regard to the merits and good faith of the claims or defenses made by such party litigant; but the provisions of this Section shall not apply to any suit instituted by the Company, to any suit instituted by the Trustee, to any suit instituted by any Holder, or group of Holders, holding in the aggregate more than [    ]% in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of any Series, or to any suit instituted by any Holder for the enforcement of the payment of the principal of or interest on any Security on or after the Stated Maturity or Stated Maturities expressed in such Security (or, in the case of redemption, on the redemption date).

ARTICLE VII

TRUSTEE

Section 7.01.    Duties of Trustee. (a) If an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Trustee shall exercise the rights and powers vested in it by this Indenture and use the same degree of care and skill in their exercise as a prudent person would exercise or use under the circumstances in the conduct of his own affairs.

(b)    Except during the continuance of an Event of Default:

(i)    The Trustee need perform only those duties that are specifically set forth in this Indenture and no implied duties, covenants or obligations shall be deemed to be imposed upon the Trustee.

(ii)    in the absence of bad faith on its part, the Trustee may conclusively rely, as to the truth of the statements and the correctness of the opinions expressed therein, upon Officers’ Certificates or Opinions of Counsel furnished to the Trustee and conforming to the requirements of this Indenture; however, in the case of any such Officers’ Certificates or Opinions of Counsel which by any provisions hereof are specifically required to be furnished to the Trustee, the Trustee shall examine such Officers’ Certificates and Opinions of Counsel to determine whether or not they conform on their face to the requirements of this Indenture.

(c)    The Trustee may not be relieved from liability for its own its own negligent action, its own negligent failure to act or willful misconduct, except that:

(i)    This paragraph does not limit the effect of paragraph (b) of Section 7.01 herein.

(ii)    The Trustee shall not be liable for any error of judgment made in good faith by a Responsible Officer.

 

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(iii)    The Trustee shall not be liable with respect to any action taken, suffered or omitted to be taken by it with respect to Securities of any Series in good faith in accordance with the direction of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of such Series relating to the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred upon the Trustee, under this Indenture with respect to the Securities of such Series.

(d)    Every provision of this Indenture that in any way relates to the Trustee is subject to paragraph (a), (b) and (c) of this Section.

(e)    The Trustee may refuse to perform any duty or exercise any right or power unless it receives an indemnity satisfactory to it against any loss, liability or expense.

(f)    The Trustee shall not be liable for interest on any money received by it except as the Trustee may agree in writing with the Company. Money held in trust by the Trustee need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law.

(g)    No provision of this Indenture shall require the Trustee to risk or expend its own funds or otherwise incur liability, financial or otherwise, in the performance of any of its duties, or in the exercise of any of its rights or powers, if it shall have reasonable grounds for believing that repayment of such funds or indemnity satisfactory to it against such risk is not reasonably assured to it.

(h)    The Paying Agent, the Registrar and any authenticating agent shall be entitled to the same rights, indemnities, protections and immunities afforded to the Trustee.

(i)    The Trustee shall have no duty to monitor the performance or compliance of the Company with its obligations hereunder or any under supplement hereto, nor shall it have any liability in connection with the malfeasance or nonfeasance by the Company. The Trustee shall have no liability in connection with compliance by the Company with statutory or regulatory requirements related to this Indenture, any supplement or any Securities issued pursuant hereto or thereto.

Section 7.02.    Rights of Trustee. (a) The Trustee may conclusively rely on and shall be fully protected in acting or refraining from acting as a result of its reasonable belief that any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, consent, order, direction, approval or other paper or document was genuine and had been signed or presented by the proper person. The Trustee need not investigate any fact or matter stated in the document, but the Trustee, in its discretion, may make such further inquiry or investigation into such facts or matters as it sees fit.

(b)    Before the Trustee acts or refrains from acting, it may require an Officers’ Certificate or an Opinion of Counsel or both. The Trustee shall not be liable for any action it takes or omits to take in good faith in reliance on such Officers’ Certificate or Opinion of Counsel.

(c)    The Trustee may act through agents and shall not be responsible for the misconduct or negligence of, or for the supervision of, any agent appointed with due care. No Depository shall be deemed an agent of the Trustee and the Trustee shall not be responsible for any act or omission by any Depository.

 

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(d)    The Trustee shall not be liable for any action it takes or omits to take in good faith which it believes to be authorized or within its rights or powers.

(e)    The Trustee may consult with counsel of its selection and the advice of such counsel or any Opinion of Counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it hereunder in good faith and in reliance thereon.

(f)    The Trustee shall be under no obligation to exercise any of the rights or powers vested in it by or pursuant to this Indenture at the request, order or direction of any of the Holders of Securities, unless such Holders shall have offered to the Trustee reasonable security or indemnity satisfactory to it against the costs, expenses and liabilities which might be incurred by it in compliance with such request or direction.

Section 7.03.    Individual Rights of Trustee. The Trustee, in its individual or any other capacity, may become the owner or pledgee of Securities and may otherwise deal with the Company or an Affiliate with the same rights it would have if it were not Trustee. Any Agent may do the same with like rights. The Trustee is also subject to Sections 7.10 and 7.11.

Section 7.04.    Trustee’s Disclaimer. The Trustee makes no representation as to the validity or adequacy of this Indenture or the Securities and the recitals contained herein and in the Securities shall be taken as statements of the Company and not of the Trustee, and the Trustee has no responsibility for such recitals. The Trustee shall not be accountable for the Company’s use or application of the proceeds from the Securities or for monies paid over to the Company pursuant to this Indenture, and it shall not be responsible for any statement in the Securities other than its authentication.

Section 7.05.    Notice of Defaults. If a Default or Event of Default occurs and is continuing with respect to the Securities of any Series and if a Responsible Officer of the Trustee has knowledge or receives written notice of such event, the Trustee shall mail to each Securityholder of the Securities of that Series, notice of a Default or Event of Default within [    ] days after it occurs or, if later, after a Responsible Officer of the Trustee has actual knowledge of such Default or Event of Default. Except in the case of a Default or Event of Default in payment of principal of or interest on any Security of any Series, including any additional interest that may become payable pursuant to Section 6.02(b), the Trustee may withhold the notice so long as the Trustee in good faith determines that withholding the notice is in the interests of Securityholders of that Series.

Section 7.06.    Reports by Trustee to Holders. Within [    ] days after [                ] in each year, the Trustee shall transmit by mail to all Securityholders, as their names and addresses appear on the register kept by the Registrar, a brief report dated as of such [                ], in accordance with, and to the extent required under, TIA Section 313.

A copy of each report at the time of its mailing to Securityholders of any Series shall be filed with the SEC and each stock exchange on which the Securities of that Series are listed. The Company shall promptly notify the Trustee when Securities of any Series are listed on any stock exchange.

 

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Section 7.07.    Compensation and Indemnity. The Company shall pay to the Trustee from time to time such compensation for its services as shall be agreed upon in writing. The Trustee’s compensation shall not be limited by any law on compensation of a trustee of an express trust. The Company shall reimburse the Trustee upon request for all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses, disbursements and advances incurred by it. Such expenses shall include the reasonable compensation and expenses of the Trustee’s agents, counsel and other persons not regularly in its employ.

The Company shall indemnify, defend and hold harmless the Trustee and its officers, directors, employees, representatives and agents, from and against and reimburse the Trustee for any and all claims, expenses, obligations, liabilities, losses, damages, injuries (to person, property, or natural resources), penalties, stamp or other similar taxes, actions, suits, judgments, reasonable costs and expenses (including reasonable attorney’s and agent’s fees and expenses) of whatever kind or nature regardless of their merit, demanded, asserted or claimed against the Trustee directly or indirectly relating to, or arising from, claims against the Trustee by reason of its participation in the transactions contemplated hereby, including without limitation all reasonable costs required to be associated with claims for damages to persons or property, and reasonable attorneys’ and consultants’ fees and expenses and court costs except to the extent caused by the Trustee’s negligence or willful misconduct. The provisions of this Section 7.07 shall survive the termination of this Agreement or the earlier resignation or removal of the Trustee. The Company shall defend any claim and the Trustee shall cooperate in the defense. The Trustee may have separate counsel and the Company shall pay the reasonable fees and expenses of such counsel. The Company need not pay for any settlement made without its consent, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed. This indemnification shall apply to officers, directors, employees, shareholders and agents of the Trustee.

The Company need not reimburse any expense or indemnify against any loss liability incurred by the Trustee or by any officer, director, employee, shareholder or agent of the Trustee through negligence or bad faith.

To secure the Company’s payment obligations in this Section, the Trustee shall have a lien prior to the Securities of any Series on all money or property held or collected by the Trustee, except that held in trust to pay principal and interest on particular Securities of that Series.

When the Trustee incurs expenses or renders services after an Event of Default specified in Section 6.01(f) or (g) occurs, the expenses and the compensation for the services are intended to constitute expenses of administration under any Bankruptcy Law.

Section 7.08.    Replacement of Trustee. A resignation or removal of the Trustee and appointment of a successor Trustee shall become effective only upon the successor Trustee’s acceptance of appointment as provided in this Section.

 

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The Trustee may resign with respect to the Securities of one or more Series by so notifying the Company. The Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities of any Series may remove the Trustee with respect to that Series by so notifying the Trustee and the Company. The Company may remove the Trustee with respect to Securities of one or more Series if:

(a)    the Trustee fails to comply with Section 7.10;

(b)    the Trustee is adjudged a bankrupt or an insolvent or an order for relief is entered with respect to the Trustee under any Bankruptcy Law;

(c)    a Custodian or public officer takes charge of the Trustee or its property; or

(d)    the Trustee becomes incapable of acting.

If the Trustee resigns or is removed or if a vacancy exists in the office of Trustee for any reason, the Company shall promptly appoint a successor Trustee. Within one year after the successor Trustee takes office, the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the then outstanding Securities may appoint a successor Trustee to replace the successor Trustee appointed by the Company.

If a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of any one or more Series does not take office within [    ] days after the retiring Trustee resigns or is removed, the retiring Trustee, the Company or the Holders of at least [    ] % in principal amount of the Securities of the applicable Series may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee.

A successor Trustee shall deliver a written acceptance of its appointment to the retiring Trustee and to the Company. Immediately after that, the retiring Trustee shall transfer all property held by it as Trustee to the successor Trustee subject to the lien provided for in Section 7.07, and subject to the payment of any and all amounts then due and owing to the retiring Trustee, the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee shall become effective, and the successor Trustee shall have all the rights, powers and duties of the Trustee with respect to each Series of Securities for which it is acting as Trustee under this Indenture. A successor Trustee shall mail a notice of its succession to each Securityholder of each such Series. Notwithstanding replacement of the Trustee pursuant to this Section 7.08, the Company’s obligations under Section 7.07 hereof shall continue for the benefit of the retiring trustee with respect to expenses and liabilities incurred by it prior to such replacement.

Section 7.09.    Successor Trustee by Merger, etc. If the Trustee consolidates with, merges or converts into, or transfers all or substantially all of its corporate trust business to, another corporation, the successor corporation without any further act shall be the successor Trustee with the same effect as if the successor Trustee had been named as the Trustee herein.

Section 7.10.    Eligibility; Disqualification. This Indenture shall always have a Trustee who satisfies the requirements of TIA Section 310(a)(1), (2) and (5). The Trustee shall always have a combined capital and surplus of at least $25,000,000 as set forth in its most recent published annual report of condition. The Trustee shall comply with TIA Section 310(b).

Section 7.11.    Preferential Collection of Claims Against Company. The Trustee is subject to TIA Section 311(a), excluding any creditor relationship listed in TIA Section 311(b). A Trustee who has resigned or been removed shall be subject to TTA Section 311(a) to the extent indicated.

 

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ARTICLE VIII

SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE; DEFEASANCE

Section 8.01.    Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture. This Indenture shall upon Company Order cease to be of further effect (except as hereinafter provided in this Section 8.01), and the Trustee, on the demand of and at the expense of the Company, shall execute proper instruments acknowledging satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, when

(a)    Either

(i)    all Securities theretofore authenticated and delivered (other than Securities that have been destroyed, lost or stolen and that have been replaced or paid) have been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation; or

(ii)    all such Securities not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation have become due and payable, or

(A)    have become due and payable, or

(B)    will become due and payable at their Stated Maturity within [                ], or

(C)    are to be called for redemption within [                ] under arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for the giving of notice of redemption by the Trustee in the name, and at the expense, of the Company, or

(D)    are deemed paid and discharged pursuant to Section 8.03, as applicable; and the Company, in the case of (A), (B) or (C) above, has deposited or caused to be deposited with the Trustee as trust funds in trust an amount sufficient for the purpose of paying and discharging the entire indebtedness on such Securities not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation, for principal and interest to the date of such deposit (in the case of Securities which have become due and payable on or prior to the date of such deposit) or to the Stated Maturity or redemption date, as the case may be;

(b)    the Company has paid or caused to be paid all other sums payable hereunder by the Company; and

(c)    the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each meeting the applicable requirements of Sections 10.04 and 10.05 and each stating that all conditions precedent herein relating to the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture have been complied with and the Trustee receives written demand from the Company to discharge.

 

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Notwithstanding the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, the obligations of the Company to the Trustee under Section 7.07, and, if money shall have been deposited with the Trustee pursuant to clause (a) of this Section, the provisions of Sections 2.04, 2.07, 2.08, 8.01, 8.02 and 8.05 shall survive.

Section 8.02.    Application of Trust Funds; Indemnification. (a) Subject to the provisions of Section 8.05, all money deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section 8.01, all money and U.S. Government Obligations or Foreign Government Obligations deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section 8.03 or 8.04 and all money received by the Trustee in respect of U.S. Government Obligations or Foreign Government Obligations deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section 8.03 or 8.04, shall be held in trust and applied by it, in accordance with the provisions of the Securities and this Indenture, to the payment, either directly or through any Paying Agent (including the Company acting as its own Paying Agent) as the Trustee may determine, to the persons entitled thereto, of the principal and interest for whose payment such money has been deposited with or received by the Trustee or to make mandatory sinking fund payments or analogous payments as contemplated by Sections 8.03 or 8.04.

(b)    The Company shall pay and shall indemnify the Trustee and the Agents against any tax, fee or other charge imposed on or assessed against U.S. Government Obligations or Foreign Government Obligations deposited pursuant to Sections 8.03 or 8.04 or the interest and principal received in respect of such obligations other than any payable by or on behalf of Holders.

(c)    The Trustee shall, in accordance with the terms of this Indenture, deliver or pay to the Company from time to time, upon Company Request and at the expense of the Company any U.S. Government Obligations or Foreign Government Obligations or money held by it pursuant to this Indenture as provided in Sections 8.03 or 8.04 which, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent certified public accountants, expressed in a written certification thereof and delivered to the Trustee together with such Company Request, are then in excess of the amount thereof which then would have been required to be deposited for the purpose for which such U.S. Government Obligations or Foreign Government Obligations or money were deposited or received. This provision shall not authorize the sale by the Trustee of any U.S. Government Obligations or Foreign Government Obligations held under this Indenture.

Section 8.03.    Legal Defeasance of Securities of any Series. Unless this Section 8.03 is otherwise specified, pursuant to Section 2.02(s), to be inapplicable to Securities of any Series, the Company shall be deemed to have paid and discharged the entire indebtedness on all the outstanding Securities of such Series on the [    ] day after the date of the deposit referred to in subparagraph (d) hereof, and the provisions of this Indenture, as it relates to such outstanding Securities of such Series, shall no longer be in effect (and the Trustee, at the expense of the company, shall, at Company Request, execute proper instruments acknowledging the same), except as to:

(a)    the rights of Holders of Securities of such Series to receive, from the trust funds described in subparagraph (d) hereof, (i) payment of the principal of and each installment of principal of and interest on the outstanding Securities of such Series on the Stated Maturity of such principal or installment of principal or interest and (ii) the benefit of any mandatory sinking fund payments applicable to the Securities of such Series on the day on which such payments are due and payable in accordance with the terms of this Indenture and the Securities of such Series;

 

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(b)    the provisions of Sections 2.04, 2.07, 2.08, 2.14, 8.02, 8.03 and 8.05; and

(c)    the rights, powers, trust and immunities of the Trustee hereunder; provided that, the following conditions shall have been satisfied:

(d)    the Company shall have deposited or caused to be deposited irrevocably with the Paying Agent as trust funds in trust for the purpose of making the following payments, specifically pledged as security for and dedicated solely to the benefit of the Holders of such Securities in the case of Securities of such Series denominated in Dollars, cash in Dollars (or such other money or currencies as shall then be legal tender in the United States of America) and/or U.S. Government Obligations, or (ii) in the case of Securities of such Series denominated in a Foreign Currency (other than a composite currency), money and/or Foreign Government Obligations, which through the payment of interest and principal in respect thereof, in accordance with their terms, will provide (and without reinvestment and assuming no tax liability will be imposed on such Paying Agent), not later than [    ] day before the due date of any payment of money, an amount in cash, sufficient, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee and the Paying Agent, to pay and discharge each installment of principal (including mandatory sinking fund or analogous payments) of and interest, if any, on all the Securities of such Series on the dates such installments of interest or principal are due;

(e)    such deposit will not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, this Indenture or any other agreement or instrument to which the Company is a party or by which it is bound;

(f)    no Default or Event of Default with respect to the Securities of such Series shall have occurred and be continuing on the date of such deposit or during the period ending on the [    ] day after such date;

(g)    the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that (i) the Company has received from, or there has been published by, the Internal Revenue Service a ruling, or (ii) since the date of execution of this Indenture, there has been a change in the applicable U.S. federal income tax law, in either case to the effect that, and based thereon such Opinion of Counsel shall confirm that, the Holders of the Securities of such Series will not recognize income, gain or loss for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a result of such deposit, defeasance and discharge and will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on the same amount and in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such deposit, defeasance and discharge had not occurred;

(h)    the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate stating that the deposit was not made by the Company with the intent of preferring the Holders of the Securities of such Series over any other creditors of the company or with the intent of defeating, hindering, delaying or defrauding any other creditors of the Company;

 

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(i)    such deposit shall not result in the trust arising from such deposit constituting an investment company (as defined in the U.S. Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended), or such trust shall be qualified under such Act or exempt from regulation thereunder; and

(j)    the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent provided for relating to the defeasance contemplated by this Section have been complied with.

Section 8.04.    Covenant Defeasance. Unless this Section 8.04 is otherwise specified pursuant to Section 2.02(s) to be inapplicable to Securities of any Series, on and after the [    ] day after the date of the deposit referred to in subparagraph (a) hereof, the Company may omit to comply with any term, provision or condition set forth under Sections 4.02, 4.03, 4.04, 4.05, 4.06 and 5.01 as well as any additional covenants contained in a supplemental indenture hereto for a particular Series of Securities or a Board Resolution or an Officers’ Certificate delivered pursuant to Section 2.02(s) (and the failure to comply with any such covenants shall not constitute a Default or Event of Default under Section 6.01) and the occurrence of any event described in clause (e) of Section 6.01 shall not constitute a Default or Event of Default hereunder, with respect to the Securities of such Series, provided that the following conditions shall have been satisfied:

(a)    With reference to this Section 8.04, the Company has deposited or caused to be irrevocably deposited (except as provided in Section 8.02(c)) with the Paying Agent as trust funds in trust, specifically pledged as security for, and dedicated solely to, the benefit of the Holders of such Securities (i) in the case of Securities of such Series denominated in Dollars, cash in Dollars (or such other money or currencies as shall then be legal tender in the United States of America) and/or U.S. Government Obligations, or (ii) in the case of Securities of such Series denominated in a Foreign Currency (other than a composite currency), money and/or Foreign Government Obligations, which through the payment of interest and principal in respect thereof, in accordance with their terms, will provide (and without reinvestment and assuming no tax liability will be imposed on such Paying Agent), not later than [    ] day before the due date of any payment of money, an amount in cash, sufficient, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent certified public accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Paying Agent, to pay principal and interest, if any, on and any mandatory sinking fund in respect of the Securities of such Series on the dates such installments of interest or principal are due;

(b)    Such deposit will not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, this Indenture or any other agreement or instrument to which the Company is a party or by which it is bound;

(c)    No Default or Event of Default with respect to the Securities of such Series shall have occurred and be continuing on the date of such deposit or during the period ending on the [    ] day after such date;

(d)    the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel confirming that Holders of the Securities of such Series will not recognize income, gain or loss for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a result of such deposit and defeasance and will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on the same amounts, in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such deposit and defeasance had not occurred;

 

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(e)    the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate stating the deposit was not made by the Company with the intent of preferring the Holders of the Securities of such Series over any other creditors of the Company or with the intent of defeating, hindering, delaying or defrauding any other creditors of the Company; and

(f)    The Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to the defeasance contemplated by this Section have been complied with.

Section 8.05.    Repayment to Company. The Paying Agent shall pay to the Company upon request any money held by them for the payment of principal and interest that remains unclaimed for two years. After that, Securityholders entitled to the money must look to the Company for payment as general creditors unless an applicable abandoned property law designates another person and all liability of the Paying Agent with respect to that money shall cease.

ARTICLE IX

AMENDMENTS AND WAIVERS

Section 9.01.    Without Consent of Holders. Subject to Section 9.02 and Section 9.03, the Company and the Trustee may amend or supplement this Indenture or the Securities of one or more Series without the consent of any Securityholder:

(a)    to cure any ambiguity, defect or inconsistency;

(b)    to comply with Article V;

(c)    to provide for uncertificated Securities in addition to or in place of certificated Securities;

(d)    to make any change that does not adversely affect the rights of any Securityholder;

(e)    to provide for the issuance of and establish the form and terms and conditions of Securities of any Series as permitted by this Indenture;

(f)    to evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment hereunder by a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of one or more Series and to add to or change any of the provisions of this Indenture as shall be necessary to provide for or facilitate the administration of the trusts hereunder by more than one Trustee;

(g)    to comply with requirements of the TIA and any rules promulgated under the TIA; and

 

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(h)    to add to the covenants of the Company for the equal and ratable benefit of the Holders or to surrender any right, power or option conferred upon the Company.

Any amendment or supplement made solely to conform the provisions of this Indenture or the Securities of any Series to the description thereof contained in the final prospectus relating to such Series will be deemed not to adversely affect the rights of any Holder.

Section 9.02.    With Consent of Holders. Subject to Section 9.03, the Company and the Trustee may enter into a supplemental indenture with the written consent of the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of all Series affected by such supplemental indenture, taken together as one class (including consents obtained in connection with a tender offer or exchange offer for the Securities of such Series), for the purpose of adding any provisions to or changing in any manner or eliminating any of the provisions of this Indenture or of any supplemental indenture or of modifying in any manner the rights of the Securityholders of each such Series. Except as provided in Section 6.13, the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of all Series affected by such waiver by notice to the Trustee, taken together as one class (including consents obtained in connection with a tender offer or exchange offer for the Securities of such Series) may waive compliance by the Company with any provision of this Indenture or the Securities with respect to such Series.

It shall not be necessary for the consent of the Holders of Securities under this Section 9.02 to approve the particular form of any proposed supplemental indenture or waiver, but it shall be sufficient if such consent approves the substance thereof. After a supplemental indenture or waiver under this section becomes effective, the Company shall deliver to the Holders of Securities affected thereby a notice briefly describing the supplemental indenture or waiver. Any failure by the Company to deliver such notice, or any defect therein, shall not, however, in any way impair or affect the validity of any such supplemental indenture or waiver.

Section 9.03.    Limitations. Without the consent of each Securityholder affected, an amendment or waiver may not:

(a)    change the amount of Securities whose Holders must consent to an amendment, supplement or waiver, except to increase any such amount or to provide that certain provisions of this Indenture cannot be modified, amended or waived without the consent of the Holder of each outstanding Security affected thereby;

(b)    reduce the amount of interest, or change the interest payment time, on any Security;

(c)    waive a redemption payment or alter the redemption provisions (other than any alteration that would not materially adversely affect the legal rights of any Holder under this Indenture) or the price at which the Company is required to offer to purchase the Securities;

(d)    reduce the principal or change the Stated Maturity of any Security or reduce the amount of, or postpone the date fixed for, the payment of any sinking fund or analogous obligation;

(e)    reduce the principal amount payable of any Security upon Maturity;

 

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(f)    waive a Default or Event of Default in the payment of the principal of or interest, if any, on any Security (except a rescission of acceleration of the Securities of any Series by the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of such Series and a waiver of the payment default that resulted from such acceleration);

(g)    change the place or currency of payment of principal of or interest, if any, on any Security other than that stated in the Security;

(h)    impair the right of any Holder to receive payment of principal or, or interest on, the Securities of such Holder on or after the due dates therefor;

(i)    impair the right to institute suit for the enforcement of any payment on, or with respect to, any Security;

(j)    change the ranking of the Securities; or

(k)    make any other change which is specified in a Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officers’ Certificate as a limitation under this Section.

For the avoidance of doubt, any amendment or waiver shall always be subject to the consent of the Company.

Section 9.04.    Compliance with TIA. Every amendment to this Indenture or the Securities of one or more Series shall be set forth in a supplemental indenture hereto that complies with the TIA as then in effect.

Section 9.05.    Revocation and Effect of Consents. Until an amendment or waiver becomes effective, a consent to it by a Holder of a Security is a continuing consent by the Holder and every subsequent Holder of a Security or portion of a Security that evidences the same debt as the consenting Holder’s Security, even if notation of the consent is not made on any Security. However, any such Holder or subsequent Holder may revoke the consent as to his Security or portion of a Security if the Trustee receives the notice of revocation before the date the amendment or waiver becomes effective.

Any amendment or waiver once effective shall bind every Securityholder of each Series affected by such amendment or waiver unless it is of the type described in any of clauses (a) through (g) of Section 9.03 in that case, the amendment or waiver shall bind each Holder of a Security who has consented to it and every subsequent Holder of a Security or portion of a Security that evidences the same debt as the consenting Holder’s Security.

Section 9.06.    Notation on or Exchange of Securities. If an amendment, supplement or waiver changes the terms of a Security, the Trustee may require the Holder of the Security to deliver it to the Trustee and the Trustee may place an appropriate notation on the Security about the changed terms and return it to the Holder. Alternatively, if the Company or the Trustee so determines, the Company shall issue and the Trustee shall authenticate upon request new Securities of that Series that reflect the changed terms.

 

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Section 9.07.    Trustee Protected. In executing, or accepting the additional trusts created by, any supplemental indenture permitted by this Article or the modifications thereby of the trusts created by this Indenture, the Trustee shall be entitled to receive, and (subject to Section 7.01) shall be fully protected in relying upon, an Opinion of Counsel or an Officers’ Certificate, or both stating that the execution of such supplemental indenture is authorized or permitted by this Indenture. The Trustee shall sign all supplemental indentures, except that the Trustee need not sign any supplemental indenture that adversely affects its rights, duties or indemnities.

Section 9.08.    Effect of Supplemental Indenture. Upon the execution of any supplemental indenture under this Article, this Indenture shall be modified in accordance therewith, and each such supplemental indenture shall form part of this Indenture for all purposes with respect to the relevant Series; and every Holder of Securities of the relevant Series theretofore or thereafter authenticated and delivered hereunder shall be bound thereby.

ARTICLE X

MISCELLANEOUS

Section 10.01.    TIA Controls. If any provision of this Indenture limits, qualifies, or conflicts with another provision which is required or deemed to be included in this Indenture by the TIA, such required or deemed provision shall control.

Section 10.02.    Notices. Any notice or communication by the Company, the Trustee, the Paying Agent or the Registrar to another is duly given if in writing and delivered in person, via facsimile, via overnight courier or mailed by first-class mail:

if to the Company:

[                         ]

Attn:    [                ]

Fax:     [                ]

if to the Trustee:

[                         ]

Attn:    [                ]

Fax:     [                ]

if to the Registrar or Paying Agent:

[                         ]

Attn:    [                ]

Fax:     [                ]

 

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with copy to:

[                         ]

Attn:    [                ]

Fax:     [                ]

The Company, the Trustee and each Agent by notice to each other may designate additional or different addresses for subsequent notices or communications.

Any notice or communication to be mailed to a Securityholder shall be mailed by first-class mail to his address shown on the register kept by the Registrar and shall be sufficiently given if so mailed within the time prescribed. Any notice or communication to be delivered to a Securityholder of Global Securities shall be delivered in accordance with the applicable procedures of the Depository and shall be sufficiently given to such Holder if so delivered to the Depository within the time prescribed. Failure to deliver a notice or communication to a Securityholder of any Series or any defect in it shall not affect its sufficiency with respect to other Securityholders of that or any other Series.

If a notice or communication is delivered in the manner provided above, within the time prescribed, it is duly given, whether or not the Securityholder receives it.

If the Company delivers a notice or communication to Securityholders, it will deliver a copy to the Trustee and each Agent at the same time.

Whenever a notice is required to be given by the Company, such notice may be given by the Trustee or Registrar on the Company’s behalf (and the Company will make any notice it is required to give to Holders available on its website).

Section 10.03.    Communication by Holders with Other Holders. Securityholders of any Series may communicate pursuant to TIA Section 312(b) with other Securityholders of that Series or any other Series with respect to their rights under this Indenture or the Securities of that Series or all Series. The Company, the Trustee, the Registrar and anyone else shall have the protection of TIA Section 312(c).

Section 10.04.    Certificate and Opinion as to Conditions Precedent. Upon any request or application by the Company to the Trustee to take any action under this Indenture, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee:

(a)    an Officers’ Certificate stating that, in the opinion of the signers, all conditions precedent, if any, provided for in this Indenture relating to the proposed action have been complied with; and

(b)    an Opinion of Counsel stating that, in the opinion of counsel, all such conditions precedent (including any covenants, compliance with which constitutes a condition precedent) have been complied with.

 

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Section 10.05.    Statements Required in Certificate or Opinion. Each certificate or opinion with respect to compliance with a condition or covenant provided for in this Indenture (other than a certificate provided pursuant to TIA Section 314(a)(4)) shall comply with the provisions of TIA Section 314(e) and shall include:

(a)    a statement that the person making such certificate or opinion has read such covenant or condition;

(b)    a brief statement as to the nature and scope of the examination or investigation upon which the statements or opinions contained in such certificate or opinion are based;

(c)    a statement that, in the opinion of such person, he has made such examination or investigation as is necessary to enable him to express an informed opinion as to whether or not such covenant or condition has been complied with; and

(d)    a statement as to whether or not, in the opinion of such person, such condition or covenant has been complied with.

provided, however, that with respect to matters of fact an Opinion of Counsel may rely on an Officers’ Certificate or certificates of public officials.

Section 10.06.    Record Date for Vote or Consent of Holders. The Company (or, in the event deposits have been made pursuant to Section 11.02, the Trustee) may set a record date for purposes of determining the identity of Holders entitled to vote or consent to any action by vote or consent authorized or permitted under this Indenture, which record date shall not be more than [    ] days prior to the date of the commencement of solicitation of such action. Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 9.05, if a record date is fixed, those persons who were Holders of Securities at the close of business on such record date (or their duly designated proxies), and only those persons, shall be entitled to take such action by vote or consent or to revoke any vote or consent previously given, whether or not such persons continue to be Holders after such record date.

Section 10.07.    Rules by Trustee and Agents. The Trustee may make reasonable rules for action by or a meeting of Securityholders of one or more Series. Any Agent may make reasonable rules and set reasonable requirements for its functions.

Section 10.08.    Legal Holidays. Unless otherwise provided by Board Resolution, Officers’ Certificate or supplemental indenture for a particular Series, a “Legal Holiday” is any day that is not a Business Day. If a payment date is a Legal Holiday at a place of payment, payment may be made at that place on the next succeeding day that is not a Legal Holiday, and no interest shall accrue for the intervening period.

Section 10.09.    No Recourse Against Others. A director, officer, employee or shareholder, as such, of the Company shall not have any liability for any obligations of the Company under the Securities or the Indenture or for any claim based on, in respect of or by reason of such obligations or their creation. Each Securityholder by accepting a Security waives and releases all such liability. The waiver and release are part of the consideration for the issue of the Securities.

 

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Section 10.10.    Counterparts. This Indenture may be executed in any number of counterparts and by the parties hereto in separate counterparts, each of which when so executed shall be deemed to be an original and all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same agreement.

Section 10.11.    Governing Laws and Submission to Jurisdiction. THIS INDENTURE AND THE SECURITIES SHALL BE GOVERNED BY THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK EXCLUDING ANY RULE OF LAW THAT WOULD CAUSE THE APPLICATION OF THE LAWS OF ANY JURISDICTION OTHER THAN THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

The Company agrees that any legal suit, action or proceeding arising out of or based upon this Indenture may be instituted in any federal or state court sitting in New York City, and, to the fullest extent permitted by law, waives any objection which it may now or hereafter have to the laying of venue of any such proceeding, and irrevocably submits to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of such court in any suit, action or proceeding. The Company, as long as any Securities remain outstanding or the parties hereto have any obligation under this Indenture, shall have an authorized agent in the United States of America upon whom process may be served in any such legal action or proceeding. Service of process upon such agent and written notice of such service mailed or delivered to it shall to the extent permitted by law be deemed in every respect effective service of process upon it in any such legal action or proceeding and, if it fails to maintain such agent, any such process or summons may be served by mailing a copy thereof by registered mail, or a form of mail substantially equivalent thereto, addressed to it at its address as provided for notices hereunder. The Company hereby appoints [                ], as its agent for such purposes, and covenants and agrees that service of process in any legal action or proceeding may be made upon it at such office of such agent.

Section 10.12.    No Adverse Interpretation of Other Agreements. This Indenture may not be used to interpret another indenture, loan or debt agreement of the Company or a Subsidiary. Any such indenture, loan or debt agreement may not be used to interpret this Indenture.

Section 10.13.    Successors. All agreements of the Company in this Indenture and the Securities shall bind its successor. All agreements of the Trustee in this Indenture shall bind its successor.

Section 10.14.    Severability. In case any provision in this Indenture or in the Securities shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.

Section 10.15.    Table of Contents, Headings, Etc. The Table of Contents, Cross Reference Table, and headings of the Articles and Sections of this Indenture have been inserted for convenience of reference only, are not to be considered a part hereof, and shall in no way modify or restrict any of the terms or provisions hereof.

 

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Section 10.16.    Securities in a Foreign Currency or in ECU. Unless otherwise specified in a Board Resolution, a supplemental indenture hereto or an Officers’ Certificate delivered pursuant to Section 2.02 of this Indenture with respect to a particular Series of Securities, whenever for purposes of this Indenture any action may be taken by the Holders of a specified percentage in aggregate principal amount of Securities of all Series or all Series affected by a particular action at the time outstanding and, at such time, there are outstanding Securities of any Series which are denominated in a coin or currency other than Dollars (including ECUs), then the principal amount of Securities of such Series which shall be deemed to be outstanding for the purpose of taking such action shall be that amount of Dollars that could be obtained for such amount at the Market Exchange Rate at such time. For purposes of this Section 10.16, “Market Exchange Rate” shall mean the noon Dollar buying rate in New York City for cable transfers of that currency as published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York; provided, however, in the case of ECUs, Market Exchange Rate shall mean the rate of exchange determined by the Commission of the European Union (or any successor thereto) as published in the Official Journal of the European Union (such publication or any successor publication, the “Journal”). If such Market Exchange Rate is not available for any reason with respect to such currency, the Trustee shall use, without liability on its part, such quotation of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York or, in the case of ECUs, the rate of exchange as published in the Journal, as of the most recent available date, or quotations or, in the case of ECUs, rates of exchange from one or more major banks in The City of New York or in the country of issue of the currency in question or, in the case of ECUs, in Luxembourg or such other quotations or, in the case of ECUs, rates of exchange as the Trustee, upon consultation with the Company, shall deem appropriate. The provisions of this paragraph shall apply in determining the equivalent principal amount in respect of Securities of a Series denominated in currency other than Dollars in connection with any action taken by Holders of Securities pursuant to the terms of this Indenture.

All decisions and determinations of the Trustee regarding the Market Exchange Rate or any alternative determination provided for in the preceding paragraph shall be in its sole discretion and shall, in the absence of manifest error, be conclusive to the extent permitted by law for all purposes and irrevocably binding upon the Company and all Holders.

Section 10.17.    Judgment Currency. The Company agrees, to the fullest extent that it may effectively do so under applicable law, that (a) if for the purpose of obtaining judgment in any court it is necessary to convert the sum due in respect of the principal of or interest or other amount on the Securities of any Series (the “Required Currency”) into a currency in which a judgment will be rendered (the “Judgment Currency”), the rate of exchange used shall be the rate at which in accordance with normal banking procedures the Trustee could purchase in The City of New York the Required Currency with the Judgment Currency on the day on which final unappealable judgment is entered, unless such day is not a New York Banking Day, then, the rate of exchange used shall be the rate at which in accordance with normal banking procedures the Trustee could purchase in The City of New York the Required Currency with the Judgment Currency on the New York Banking Day preceding the day on which final unappealable judgment is entered and (b) its obligations under this Indenture to make payments in the Required Currency (i) shall not be discharged or satisfied by any tender, any recovery pursuant to any judgment (whether or not entered in accordance with subsection (a)), in any currency other than the Required Currency, except to the extent that such tender or recovery shall result in the actual receipt, by the payee, of the full amount of the Required Currency expressed to be payable in respect of such payments, (ii) shall be enforceable as an alternative or additional cause of action for the purpose of recovering in the Required Currency the amount, if any, by which

 

- 43 -


such actual receipt shall fall short of the full amount of the Required Currency so expressed to be payable, and (iii) shall not be affected by judgment being obtained for any other sum due under this Indenture. For purposes of the foregoing, “New York Banking Day” means any day except a Saturday, Sunday or a legal holiday in The City of New York on which banking institutions are authorized or required by law, regulation or executive order to close.

Section 10.18.    Compliance with Applicable Anti-Terrorism and Money Laundering Regulations. In order to comply with the laws, rules, regulations and executive orders in effect from time to time applicable to banking institutions, including those relating to the funding of terrorist activities and money laundering (“Applicable Law”), the Trustee is required to obtain, verify and record certain information relating to individuals and entities which maintain a business relationship with the Trustee. Accordingly, each of the parties agree to provide to the Trustee, upon its request from time to time such identifying information and documentation as may be available for such party in order to enable the Trustee to comply with the Applicable Law.

ARTICLE XI

SINKING FUNDS

Section 11.01.    Applicability of Article. The provisions of this Article shall be applicable to any sinking fund for the retirement of the Securities of a Series, except as otherwise permitted or required by any form of Security of such Series issued pursuant to this Indenture.

The minimum amount of any sinking fund payment provided for by the terms of the Securities of any Series is herein referred to as a “mandatory sinking fund payment” and any other amount provided for by the terms of Securities of such Series is herein referred to as an “optional sinking fund payment”. If provided for by the terms of Securities of any Series, the cash amount of any sinking fund payment may be subject to reduction as provided in Section 11.02. Each sinking fund payment shall be applied to the redemption of Securities of any Series as provided for by the terms of the securities of such Series.

Section 11.02.    Satisfaction of Sinking Fund Payments with Securities. The Company may, in satisfaction of all or any part of any sinking fund payment with respect to the Securities of any Series to be made pursuant to the terms of such Securities (1) deliver outstanding Securities of such Series to which such sinking fund payment is applicable (other than any of such Securities previously called for mandatory sinking fund redemption) and (2) apply as credit Securities of such Series to which such sinking fund payment is applicable and which have been redeemed either at the election of the Company pursuant to the terms of such Series of Securities (except pursuant to any mandatory sinking fund) or through the application of permitted optional sinking fund payments or other optional redemptions pursuant to the terms of such Securities, provided that such Securities have not been previously so credited. Such Securities shall be received by the Registrar, together with an Officers’ Certificate with respect thereto, not later than [    ] days prior to the date on which the Registrar begins the process of selecting Securities for redemption, and shall be credited for such purpose by the Registrar at the price specified in such Securities for redemption through operation of the sinking fund and the amount of such sinking fund payment shall be reduced accordingly. If as a result of the delivery or credit of

 

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Securities in lieu of cash payments pursuant to this Section 11.02, the principal amount of Securities of such Series to be redeemed in order to exhaust the aforesaid cash payment shall be less than $[    ], the Registrar need not call Securities of such Series for redemption, except upon receipt of a Company Order that such action be taken, and such cash payment shall be held by the Paying Agent and applied to the next succeeding sinking fund payment, provided, however, that the Paying Agent shall from time to time upon receipt of a Company Order pay over and deliver to the Company any cash payment so being held by the Paying Agent upon delivery by the Company to the Registrar of Securities of that Series purchased by the Company having an unpaid principal amount equal to the cash payment required to be released to the Company.

Section 11.03.    Redemption of Securities for Sinking Fund. Not less than [    ] days (unless otherwise indicated in the Board Resolution, supplemental indenture hereto or Officers’ Certificate in respect of a particular Series of Securities) prior to each sinking fund payment date for any Series of Securities, the Company will deliver to the Trustee and the Paying Agent an Officers’ Certificate specifying the amount of the next ensuing mandatory sinking fund payment for that Series pursuant to the terms of that Series, the portion thereof, if any, which is to be satisfied by payment of cash and the portion thereof, if any, which is to be satisfied by delivering and crediting of Securities of that Series pursuant to Section 11.02, and the optional amount, if any, to be added in cash to the next ensuing mandatory sinking fund payment, and the Company shall thereupon be obligated to pay the amount therein specified. Not less than [    ] days (unless otherwise indicated in the Board Resolution, Officers’ Certificate or supplemental indenture in respect of a particular Series of Securities) before each such sinking fund payment date the Trustee shall select the Securities to be redeemed upon such sinking fund payment date in the manner specified in Section 3.02 and cause notice of the redemption thereof to be given in the name of and at the expense of the Company in the manner provided in Section 3.03. Such notice having been duly given, the redemption of such Securities shall be made upon the terms and in the manner stated in Sections 3.04, 3.05 and 3.06.

[The remainder of this page is intentionally left blank]

 

 

- 45 -


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Indenture to be duly executed as of the day and year first above written.

 

MATERIALISE NV
By:    
  Name:
  Its:

[                ]

as Trustee

By:    
  Name:
  Its:
By:    
  Name:
  Its:

[                ]

as Registrar and Paying Agent

By:    
  Name:
  Its:
By:    
  Name:
  Its:
EX-5.1

Exhibit 5.1

 

        

CLIFFORD CHANCE LLP

 

10 UPPER BANK STREET

LONDON

E14 5JJ

 

TEL +44 20 7006 1000

FAX +44 20 7006 5555

DX 149120 CANARY WHARF 3

 

www.cliffordchance.com

Materialise NV

Technologielaan 15

3001 Leuven (Heverlee)

Belgium

  

Our ref: 80-40624906

Direct Dial: +44 20 7006 1544

E-mail: per.chilstrom@cliffordchance.com

 

June 29, 2018

Re: Registration Statement on Form F-3

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We have acted as special counsel to Materialise NV, a public limited liability company (“naamloze vennootschap die een openbaar beroep op het spaarwezen heeft gedaan”) incorporated under Belgian law with its registered office at Technologielaan 15, 3001 Leuven (Heverlee), Belgium, and enterprise number 0441.131.254 RPR/RPM Leuven (the “Company”), in connection with the preparation and filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), of a Registration Statement on Form F-3 (the “Registration Statement”) relating to possible offerings from time to time by the Company of up to $250,000,000 in the aggregate amount of securities of the Company, including: (i) ordinary shares of no nominal value of the Company (the “Ordinary Shares”) (including in the form of American Depositary Shares (“ADSs”) representing the Ordinary Shares), (ii) preference shares of the Company (the “Preference Shares”) (including in the form of ADSs representing the Preference Shares), (iii) debt securities of the Company (the “Debt Securities”), (iv) warrants to purchase Ordinary Shares, Preference Shares or Debt Securities (including in the form of ADSs representing the Ordinary Shares or Preference Shares) of the Company (the “Warrants”) to be issued pursuant to the terms of one or more warrant agreements (the “Warrant Agreements”) to be entered into prior to the issuance of the Warrants or (v) rights to purchase Ordinary Shares or Preference Shares (including in the form of ADSs representing the Ordinary Shares or Preference Shares) of the Company (the “Rights”) to be issued pursuant to the terms of one or more rights agreements (“Rights Agreements”) to be entered into prior to the issuance of the Rights, it also being understood that any of the foregoing securities may be issued in units with any one or more of the other securities (the “Units” and, together with the Ordinary Shares, the Preference Shares, the Debt Securities, the Warrants and the Rights, the “Securities”). Certain terms of the Securities will be established by or pursuant to resolutions of the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Corporate Proceedings”).

CLIFFORD CHANCE LLP IS A LIMITED LIABILITY PARTNERSHIP REGISTERED IN ENGLAND AND WALES UNDER NO. OC323571. THE FIRM’S REGISTERED OFFICE AND PRINCIPAL PLACE OF BUSINESS IS AT 10 UPPER BANK STREET LONDON E14 5JJ. THE FIRM USES THE WORD “PARTNER” TO REFER TO A MEMBER OF CLIFFORD CHANCE LLP OR AN EMPLOYEE OR CONSULTANT WITH EQUIVALENT STANDING AND QUALIFICATIONS. THE FIRM IS AUTHORISED AND REGULATED BY THE SOLICITORS REGULATION AUTHORITY.


In rendering the opinions expressed below, we have examined originals or copies, certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of the Registration Statement. We have also examined originals or copies, certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of such other documents (including the form of indenture related to the Debt Securities and filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement), company records, certificates and letters of public officials and other instruments as we have deemed necessary or appropriate for the purposes of rendering the opinions set forth below. In examining all such documents, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the legal capacity of all natural persons, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us, and the conformity with the respective originals of all documents submitted to us as certified, telecopied, photostatic or reproduced copies. As to facts upon which this opinion is based, we have relied, as to all matters of fact, upon certificates and statements of officers, directors and employees of, and accountants for, the Company, and others.

Based on, and subject to, the foregoing, the qualifications and assumptions set forth herein and such examination of law as we have deemed necessary, we are of the opinion that:

 

  (i) The Debt Securities, assuming the due authorization thereof, the completion of the Corporate Proceedings with respect thereto, the consistency of the terms thereof with the description of the Debt Securities contained in the Registration Statement and any applicable prospectus supplement and that the interest on those Debt Securities is not at a rate which violates applicable law, when duly executed and delivered and authenticated in accordance with the indenture under which they are to be issued (the “Indenture”) and when payment therefor is received, will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company, will be entitled to the benefits provided by the applicable Indenture and will be enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms (subject, as to enforceability, to any bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, reorganization, moratorium and similar laws affecting the enforceability of creditors’ rights generally and to court decisions with respect thereto and to general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law)); and

 

  (ii) The Warrants, assuming the due authorization thereof, the completion of the Corporate Proceedings with respect thereto, the consistency of the terms thereof with the description of the Warrants contained in the Registration Statement and any applicable prospectus supplement, the due authorization of any Ordinary Shares, Preference Shares or Debt Securities underlying the Warrants and that the Warrants provide for the issuance of such Ordinary Shares or Preference Shares upon payment of consideration equal at least to the nominal value of the Ordinary Shares or Preference Shares being issued, if applicable, and do not contain provisions which violate applicable law, when duly executed, delivered and countersigned in accordance with the applicable Warrant Agreement and when payment therefor is received, will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company, will be entitled to the benefits provided by the applicable Warrant Agreement and will be enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms (subject, as to enforceability, to any bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, reorganization, moratorium and similar laws affecting the enforceability of creditors’ rights generally and to court decisions with respect thereto and to general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law)).


  (iii) The Rights, assuming the due authorization thereof, the completion of the Corporate Proceedings with respect thereto, the consistency of the terms thereof with the description of the Rights contained in the Registration Statement and any applicable prospectus supplement, the due authorization of any Ordinary Shares or Preference Shares underlying the Rights and that the Rights provide for the issuance of such Ordinary Shares or Preference Shares upon payment of consideration equal at least to the nominal value of the Ordinary Shares or Preference Shares being issued, if applicable, and do not contain provisions which violate applicable law, when duly executed, delivered and countersigned in accordance with the applicable Rights Agreement and when payment therefor is received, will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company, will be entitled to the benefits provided by the applicable Rights Agreement and will be enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms (subject, as to enforceability, to any bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, reorganization, moratorium and similar laws affecting the enforceability of creditors’ rights generally and to court decisions with respect thereto and to general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law)).

The opinions set forth in this letter relate only to the federal securities laws of the United States, and the laws of the State of New York. We express no opinion (a) as to the enforceability of forum selection clauses in the federal courts or (b) with respect to the requirements of, or compliance with, any state securities or blue sky laws.

This letter has been prepared for your use in connection with the Registration Statement and is based upon the law as in effect and the facts known to us on the date hereof. We have not undertaken to advise you of any subsequent changes in the law or of any facts that hereafter may come to our attention.

We consent to the filing of this letter as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and to the reference to us under the caption “Legal Matters” in the prospectus which is a part of the Registration Statement. In giving this consent, we do not concede that we are within the category of persons whose consent is required under the Securities Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder.

Very truly yours,

/s/ Clifford Chance LLP

EX-5.2

Exhibit 5.2

 

 

CLIFFORD CHANCE LLP

 

  AVENUE LOUISE 65
  BOX 2
  1050 BRUSSELS
 

BELGIUM

 

  TEL +32 2 533 5911
 

FAX +32 2 533 5959

 

  www.cliffordchance.com

 

Materialise NV

Technologielaan 15

3001 Leuven (Heverlee)

Belgium

  

Your reference:

Our reference: 80-40624906

Direct Dial: +32 2 533 5072

niek.depauw@cliffordchance.com

 

29 June 2018

Dear Sirs,

Materialise NV – F-3

We have acted as Belgian legal counsel to Materialise NV, a public limited liability company (“naamloze vennootschap die een openbaar beroep op het spaarwezen heeft gedaan”) incorporated under Belgian law with its registered office at Technologielaan 15, 3001 Leuven (Heverlee), Belgium, and enterprise number 0441.131.254 RPR/RPM Leuven (the “Company”), on certain legal matters of Belgian law in connection with the Company’s registration statement (the “Registration Statement”) on Form F-3 filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission relating to the registration under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, of possible offerings from time to time by the Company of up to USD 250,000,000 in aggregate amount of the Company’s securities, which may include:

 

  (a) new ordinary shares without par value which may be issued by the Company (the “Ordinary Shares”);

 

  (b) new preference shares which may be issued by the Company (the “Preference Shares”);

 

  (c) new warrants to purchase the Company’s securities, which may be issued by the Company (the “Warrants”);

 

  (d) new rights to purchase the Company’s ordinary shares or preference shares, which may be issued by the Company (the “Rights”);

CLIFFORD CHANCE LLP IS A LIMITED LIABILITY PARTNERSHIP REGISTERED IN ENGLAND AND WALES UNDER NUMBER OC323571. THE FIRM’S REGISTERED OFFICE AND PRINCIPAL PLACE OF BUSINESS IS AT 10 UPPER BANK STREET, LONDON, E14 5JJ. A LIST OF THE NAMES OF THE MEMBERS AND THEIR PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS IS OPEN TO INSPECTION AT THIS OFFICE. THE FIRM USES THE WORD “PARTNER” TO REFER TO A MEMBER OF CLIFFORD CHANCE LLP OR AN EMPLOYEE OR CONSULTANT WITH EQUIVALENT STANDING AND QUALIFICATIONS.


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  (e) new debt securities which may be issued by the Company (the “Debt Securities”); and

 

  (f) new units comprising any of the foregoing securities, which may be issued by the Company (the “Units” and, together with the Ordinary Shares, Preference Shares, Warrants, Rights and Debt Securities, the “New Securities”).

 

1. For the purpose of this opinion we have examined the following documents (the “Documents”):

 

  (a) the Registration Statement;

 

  (b) the prospectus of the Company included in the Registration Statement (the “Prospectus”); and

 

  (c) a copy of the coordinated articles of association of the Company as at 30 March 2018,

together with such other corporate documents and records of the Company and such other instruments, certificates and documents as we have considered it necessary or desirable.

 

2. Our opinion is based upon the following assumptions:

 

  (a) the genuineness of all signatures, the authenticity of the Documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to the originals of all Documents submitted to us as copies or in portable document format (PDF) and the authenticity of the originals of such Documents;

 

  (b) the Documents have been executed by the persons whose names are indicated thereon as being the names of the signatories or, if such names are not indicated, by the persons authorised to execute such Documents and we have assumed the legal capacity (“bekwaamheid”) of the natural persons executing such Documents;

 

  (c) the statements of facts contained in the Documents are accurate and complete;

 

  (d) that documents examined by us in draft or electronic form have been executed substantially in such form; and

 

  (e)

upon issuance of any New Securities, (i) each of the Company and its subsidiaries will be in good standing, (ii) the New Securities will be issued by the Company in compliance with the then applicable provisions of the articles

 

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  of association of the Company, the laws of Belgium and the governing law of such New Securities (if not Belgian law), and (iii) the agreements and all other documents applicable (including the Indenture, the Prospectus and any supplement thereto) to the issuance of the New Securities will not violate Belgian law, nor the Company’s articles of association.

 

3. Based upon the above and subject to the qualifications set out below and to any matters not disclosed to us, we are, as at the date hereof, of the opinion that:

 

  (a) with respect to the Ordinary Shares and Preference Shares (together, the “Equity Securities”), when (i) the Company has taken all necessary action to approve the issuance of the Ordinary Shares and/or Preference Shares, the terms of the offering thereof and related matters, and (ii) the Ordinary Shares and/or Preference Shares have been issued and delivered in accordance with the terms of the applicable definitive purchase agreement, underwriting agreement or similar agreement approved by the Company and as contemplated in the Prospectus or prospectus supplement related thereto, upon payment of the consideration thereof or provided for therein, and assuming the total number of such issued Ordinary Shares or Preference Shares, together with such total number of Ordinary Shares or Preference Shares reserved for issuance upon the exercise, exchange or conversion, as the case may be, of any exercisable, exchangeable or convertible security then outstanding, will not exceed the total number of such authorized share capital under the Company’s articles of association then in effect, then such Ordinary Shares and/or Preference Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable;

 

  (b)

with respect to the Warrants and Rights, when (i) the Company has taken all necessary action to approve the issuance and terms of the Warrants and/or Rights, the terms of the offering and related matters and (ii) the Warrants and/or Rights have been issued and delivered in accordance with the terms of the applicable warrant agreement, rights agreement, purchase contract, or similar agreement approved by the Company, as contemplated in the Prospectus or prospectus supplement related thereto, and upon payment of the consideration therefor, if any, provided for therein and in accordance with the terms of the applicable agreement(s) approved by the Company, then the Warrants and/or Rights will be validly issued and will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company in accordance with their terms, except as the enforcement thereof (i) may be limited by any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, fraudulent conveyance, fraudulent transfer, fraudulent obligation, moratorium or other similar laws affecting

 

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  generally the enforceability of creditors’ rights and remedies or the collection of debtor’s obligations from time to time in effect, and (ii) is subject to general principles of equity, regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law, including the application of principles of good faith, fair dealing, course of dealing, course of performance, commercial reasonableness, materiality, unconscionability and conflict with public policy and other similar principles, or other law relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally and general principles of equity;

 

  (c) with respect to the Debt Securities, when the applicable indenture relating to such Debt Securities (the “Indenture”) has been duly qualified, approved and executed and the Company has taken all necessary action to approve the issuance and terms of the Debt Securities and the terms of the offering thereof and related matters and the Debt Securities have been duly executed, authenticated, issued and delivered in accordance with the provisions of the Indenture and the other applicable agreements approved by the Company and as contemplated in the Prospectus or prospectus supplement related thereto, and upon payment of the consideration thereof or provided for therein, and in any applicable definitive purchase, underwriting or similar agreement approved by the Company, the Debt Securities will be validly issued and will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, except as the enforcement thereof (i) may be limited by any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, fraudulent conveyance, fraudulent transfer, fraudulent obligation, moratorium or other similar laws affecting generally the enforceability of creditors’ rights and remedies or the collection of debtor’s obligations from time to time in effect, and (ii) is subject to general principles of equity, regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law, including the application of principles of good faith, fair dealing, course of dealing, course of performance, commercial reasonableness, materiality, unconscionability and conflict with public policy and other similar principles; or other law relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally and general principles of equity; and

 

  (d)

with respect to the Units, when the Company has taken all necessary action to approve the issuance of the Units, the terms of the offering thereof and related matters and the Units have been issued and delivered in accordance with the terms of the applicable agreement(s) approved by the Company, and as contemplated in the Prospectus or prospectus supplement related thereto, upon payment of the consideration thereof or provided for therein and in any

 

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  CLIFFORD CHANCE LLP

 

  applicable definitive purchase, underwriting or similar agreement approved by the Company, then the Units will be validly issued, fully paid, and non-assessable, and, except in the case of an Equity Security forming part of a Unit, will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company in accordance with the terms thereof, except as the enforcement thereof (i) may be limited by any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, fraudulent conveyance, fraudulent transfer, fraudulent obligation, moratorium or other similar laws affecting generally the enforceability of creditors’ rights and remedies or the collection of debtor’s obligations from time to time in effect, and (ii) is subject to general principles of equity, regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law, including the application of principles of good faith, fair dealing, course of dealing, course of performance, commercial reasonableness, materiality, unconscionability and conflict with public policy and other similar principles, or other law relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally and general principles of equity.

 

4. In this opinion, Belgian legal concepts are expressed in English terms and not in their original Dutch or French terms; the concepts concerned may not be identical to the concepts described by the same English terms as they exist under the laws of other jurisdictions; all legal concepts used or referred to in this opinion should be exclusively interpreted according to their respective meaning under the laws of Belgium; in particular, as far as the word “non-assessable” is concerned, please note that this word has no legal meaning under the laws of Belgium and is used in this opinion only to mean that, with respect to the issuance of securities of the Company, a holder of the securities will have no obligation to pay any additional amount in excess of the subscription price.

 

5. This opinion speaks as of its date and is confined to and is given solely on the basis of the laws of Belgium as presently in force, and as generally interpreted and applied by the Belgian courts and authorities on the same date. In this opinion, “enforceable” means that an obligation is of a type which the Belgian courts may enforce. It does not mean that those obligations will be enforced in all circumstances in accordance with the terms of the relevant documents or New Securities at all times. We do not give any opinion on tax matters, factual matters and financial assistance.

 

6. We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement, and to the reference to us under the caption “Legal Matters” in the prospectus, which is a part of the Registration Statement. In giving this consent, we do not concede that we are within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the rules and regulations of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission thereunder.

 

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  CLIFFORD CHANCE LLP

 

7. This opinion is addressed to and solely for the benefit of the Company and is not intended to create third party rights pursuant to the Belgian Civil Code and, except with our prior written consent, is not to be transmitted or disclosed to or used or relied upon by any other person, provided, however, that it may be relied upon by persons entitled to rely on it pursuant to applicable provisions of U.S. federal securities law.

Very truly yours,

/s/ Clifford Chance LLP

Clifford Chance LLP

 

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EX-12.1

Exhibit 12.1

Materialise NV

Statement of Computation of Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges

(in thousands, except ratios)

 

     For the year ended December 31,  
     2017     2016     2015     2014      2013  

Fixed charges:

           

Interest expense

     1,026       665       615       606        568  

Interest capitalized

     87       —         —         —          —    

Estimate of interest within rental expense*

     970       817       388       396        455  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total fixed charges (not including the amortization on interest capitalized)

     2,083       1,482       1,003       1,002        1,023  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Earnings available for fixed charges:

           

Pre-tax income (loss) from continuing operations before adjustments for income or loss from equity investees

     (653     (291     (2,848     2,340        3,433  

Add: fixed charges

     2,083       1,482       1,003       1,002        1,023  

Add: amortization of capitalized interest

     5       2       2       2        2  

Less: interest capitalized

     (87     —         —         —          —    
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total earnings (loss) available for fixed charges

     1,348       1,193       (1,843     3,344        4,458  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Ratio of earnings to fixed charges

     *     *     *     3.33x        4.35x  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

* Reasonable approximation of interest factor on rental expense
** Due to the losses in some of the periods, the ratio coverage is sometimes less than 1:1. Materialise NV must generate additional earnings in some of the periods presented (as articulated in the table below) in order to achieve a coverage ratio of 1:1.

 

     For the year ended December 31,  
     2017      2016      2015      2014      2013  

Additional earnings required in order to achieve coverage ratio of 1:1

     735        289        2,846        —          —    
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
EX-23.1

Exhibit 23.1

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

Materialise NV

Leuven, Belgium

We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in the Prospectus constituting a part of this Registration Statement of our report dated April 30, 2018, relating to the consolidated financial statements of Materialise NV appearing in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2017.

We also consent to the reference to us under the caption “Experts” in the Prospectus.

BDO Bedrijfsrevisoren Burg. CVBA

On behalf of it,

Bert Kegels

/s/ Bert Kegels

Zaventem, Belgium

June 29, 2018

EX-23.2

Exhibit 23.2

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS

Materialise NV

Leuven, Belgium

We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in the Prospectus constituting a part of this Registration Statement of our report dated June 26, 2018, relating to the financial statements of RSPRINT Powered by Materialise NV appearing in Amendment No. 2 to the Annual Report of Materialise NV on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2017. Our report contains an explanatory paragraph regarding RSPRINT Powered by Materialise NV’s ability to continue as a going concern.

We also consent to the reference to us under the caption “Experts” in the Prospectus.

BDO Bedrijfsrevisoren Burg. CVBA

On behalf of it,

Bert Kegels

/s/ Bert Kegels

Zaventem, Belgium

June 29, 2018