EX-2.1 2 f20f2022ex2-1_mobilicom.htm DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES REGISTERED UNDER SECTION 12 OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Exhibit 2.1

 

DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES

REGISTERED UNDER SECTION 12 OF THE EXCHANGE ACT

 

The following description of fully paid ordinary shares of Mobilicom Limited (“Ordinary Shares”) is a summary only. We encourage you to read our Constitution, which is incorporated by reference as an exhibit to our Annual Report on Form 20-F (“Constitution”). The “Company,” “we,” “us,” or “our” refer to Mobilicom Limited and its consolidated subsidiaries.

 

We are an Australian public company limited by shares registered under the Corporations Act 2000 Cth (“Corporations Act”) by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (“ASIC”). Our corporate affairs are principally governed by our Constitution, the common law applicable in Australia, the Corporations Act and the Listing Rules of the Australian Securities Exchange (“ASX”).

 

In general, our Constitution addresses similar matters to those typically addressed in a U.S. company’s charter documents. Notably, however, we do not have a limit on our authorized share capital, the concept of par value is not recognized under Australian law and we may at any time convert an ordinary share into a preference share and may convert a preference share into an ordinary share (however, the Corporations Act requires that we obtain shareholder approval in connection with such a conversion).

 

Subject to restrictions on the issue of securities in our Constitution, the Corporations Act and the ASX Listing Rules and any other applicable law, we may at any time issue shares and grant options or warrants on any terms, with the rights and restrictions and for the consideration that our board of directors determine.

 

The rights and restrictions attaching to ordinary shares are derived through a combination of our Constitution, the common law applicable to Australia, the ASX Listing Rules, the Corporations Act and other applicable law. A general summary of some of the rights and restrictions attaching to our ordinary shares are summarized below. Each ordinary shareholder is entitled to receive notice of, and to be present, vote and speak at, general meetings.

 

Types and Class of Securities

 

Our outstanding share capital consists of only Ordinary Shares. As noted above, Ordinary Shares are of no par value. The number of Ordinary Shares that have been issued as of the last day of the financial year ended December 31, 2022 is given in Note 20 in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements of the Form 20-F for the financial year ended December 31, 2022. Ordinary Shares are uncertificated.

 

The rights attaching to our Ordinary Shares are detailed in our Constitution. Our Constitution provides that our directors may issue shares with preferred, deferred or other special rights, whether in relation to dividends, voting, return of share capital, or otherwise as our board of directors may determine. Subject to any approval which is required from our shareholders under the Corporations Act and the ASX Listing Rules (see “Item 16G—Corporate Governance”), any rights and restrictions attached to a class of shares, we may issue further shares on such terms and conditions as our board of directors resolve. Currently, our outstanding share capital consists of only one class of ordinary shares.

 

Our Constitution allows us at any time convert an ordinary share into a preference share and to convert a preference share into an ordinary share, or to issue preference shares with terms different from those of Ordinary Shares; however, the Corporations Act requires that we obtain shareholder approval in connection with such a conversion to, or issue of, preference shares.

 

Pre-emptive rights

 

Ordinary Shares and ordinary shareholders do not have pre-emptive rights.

 

Transfer

 

There are no inherent restrictions on the transfer of Ordinary Shares.

 

 

 

 

Dividend rights

 

Our board of directors may from time to time determine to pay dividends to shareholders. All dividends unclaimed for one year after having been declared may be invested or otherwise made use of by our board of directors for our benefit until claimed or otherwise disposed of in accordance with our Constitution. There have been no dividends paid to ordinary shareholders to date.

 

Voting rights

 

Under our Constitution, and subject to any voting exclusions imposed under the ASX Listing Rules or voting prohibitions imposed under the Corporations Act (which typically exclude parties from voting on resolutions in which they have an interest), a poll is to be conducted in respect of each resolution other than a procedural resolution put to a meeting of shareholders. On a poll vote, each shareholder shall have one vote for each fully paid share and a fractional vote for each share held by that shareholder that is not fully paid, such fraction being equivalent to the proportion of the amount that has been paid to such date on that share. The current ASX Corporate Governance Principles and Recommendations recommend that voting by ASX-listed entities on all substantive matters be conducted by poll. On a show of hands, each shareholder present has one vote. As noted above, a vote on a show of hands is only provided for under the Constitution in respect of procedural resolutions.

 

Shareholders may vote in person or by proxy, attorney or representative. Under Australian law, shareholders of a public company are not permitted to approve corporate matters by written consent. Our Constitution does not provide for cumulative voting.

 

Under Australian law, an ordinary resolution is passed if a majority of the votes cast on the resolution (in person or by proxy) by members entitled to vote on the resolution are in favor of the resolution. Under Australian law, a special resolution is passed if at least 75% of the votes cast on the resolution (in person or by proxy) are in favor of the resolution.

 

Note that ADS holders may not directly vote at a meeting of the shareholders but may instruct the depositary to vote the number of deposited ordinary shares their ADSs represent.

 

Rights to share in our profits

 

Pursuant to our Constitution, our shareholders are entitled to participate in our profits only by payment of dividends. Our board of directors may from time to time determine to pay dividends to the shareholders; however, no dividend is payable except in accordance with the thresholds set out in the Corporations Act.

 

Surplus in the event of liquidation

 

Our Constitution provides for the right of shareholders to participate in a surplus in the event of our liquidation, subject to the rights attaching to a class of shares.

 

No Redemption Provision for Ordinary Shares

 

There are no redemption provisions in our Constitution in relation to ordinary shares. Under our Constitution, any preference shares may be issued on the terms that they are, or may at our option be, liable to be redeemed.

 

No sinking fund provisions

 

There are no sinking fund provisions in our Constitution in relation to Ordinary Shares.

 

Variation or Cancellation of Share Rights

 

Subject to the terms of issue of shares of that class, the rights attached to shares in a class of shares may only be varied or cancelled by a special resolution of Mobilicom together with either:

 

  a special resolution passed at a separate general meeting of members holding shares in the class; or

 

  the written consent of members with at least 75% of the shares in the class.

 

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Directors May Make Calls

 

Our Constitution provides that subject to the terms on which the shares have been issued directors may make calls on a shareholder for amounts unpaid on shares held by that shareholder, other than monies payable at fixed times under the conditions of allotment. Shares represented by our ADSs issued in this offering will be fully paid and will not be subject to calls by directors. We do not currently have any partly paid shares on issue, all shares are fully paid ordinary shares.

 

General Meetings of Shareholders

 

General meetings of shareholders may be called by our board of directors. Except as permitted under the Corporations Act, shareholders may not convene a meeting. The Corporations Act requires the directors to call and arrange to hold a general meeting on the request of shareholders with at least 5% of the votes that may be cast at a general meeting. Notice of the proposed meeting of our shareholders is required at least 28 clear days prior to such meeting under the Corporations Act.

 

We must hold an annual general meeting within five months of the end of each fiscal year. Our end of fiscal year is currently 31 December each year. At the annual general meeting, shareholders typically consider the annual financial report, directors’ report and auditor’s report and vote on matters, including the election of directors. We may also hold other meetings of shareholders from time to time. The annual general meeting must be held in addition to any other meetings which we may hold.

 

Limitations on Rights to own Shares

 

There are no limitations on the rights of non-Australian entities to own securities imposed by our Constitution. However, acquisitions and proposed acquisitions of securities in Australian companies may be subject to review and approval by the Australian Federal Treasurer under the Foreign Acquisitions and Takeovers Act 1975 and the Foreign Acquisition and Takeovers Regulations 2015, or the FATA, which generally applies to acquisitions or proposed acquisitions:

 

by a foreign person or their associates (as defined in the FATA) of a direct interest (generally constituted by an interest of 10% or more) in a company which operates a business that meets the criteria of a ‘national security business’ regardless of value;

 

by ‘foreign government investors’ (as defined in the FATA) acquiring a direct interest (generally constituted by an interest of 10% or more) in a company regardless of value;

 

by a foreign person (as defined in the FATA) or associated foreign persons that would result in such persons having an interest in 20% or more of the issued shares of, or control of 20% or more of the voting power in, an Australian company; and

 

by two or more non-associated foreign persons that would result in such foreign person having an interest in 40% or more of the issued shares of, or control of 40% or more of the voting power in, an Australian company, where the Australian company is valued above the monetary threshold prescribed by FATA (as set out above).

 

However, no such review or approval under the FATA is required if the foreign acquirer is a U.S. entity and the value of the target is less than AUD$1,216 million.

 

The above should be considered an overview only. The application of the FATA is complex and requires an assessment of the circumstances and nature of a particular investment. For example, varying rules exist for acquisitions in agricultural land or businesses deemed to be ’sensitive businesses’.

 

The Australian Federal Treasurer may prevent a proposed acquisition in the above categories or impose conditions on such acquisition if the Treasurer is satisfied that the acquisition would be contrary to the national interest. If a foreign person acquires shares or an interest in shares in an Australian company in contravention of the FATA, the Australian Federal Treasurer may order the divestiture of such person’s shares or interest in shares in that Australian company. There are also civil and criminal penalties which may apply to breaches of the FATA.

 

In addition, if we were to become a ‘foreign person’ for the purposes of the FATA we would be required to obtain the approval of the Australian Treasurer to undertake certain acquisitions of Australian entities or businesses.

 

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Provision affecting any change of control

 

Subject to our Constitution, the Corporations Act, the ASX Listing Rules and any other applicable law, we may at any time issue shares and grant options or warrants on any terms, with preferred, deferred or other special rights and restrictions and for the consideration and other terms that the directors determine. Pursuant to the ASX Listing Rules, our Board may (at its discretion) issue securities to persons or entities who are not ‘related parties’ (as defined in detail in the ASX Listing Rules, however includes directors, their parents and children and other associated companies) without approval from shareholders if such issue, when aggregated with securities issued within the past twelve months, would be an amount that would exceed 15% of our issued ordinary share capital at the commencement of that 12-month period, or Placement Capacity. Certain issues are excluded from the calculation of issues which reduce the Placement Capacity, including any approval made with shareholder approval or issues under an approved ESOP. Certain ASX listed entities can seek shareholder approval to increase the Placement Capacity by a further 10% (i.e. to 25% of the company’s issued ordinary share capital) at annual general meetings, or Additional Capacity. The Additional Capacity is subject to certain further restrictions (including a requirement that securities issued under the Additional Capacity must be quoted securities and must be issued for cash at not more than a 25% market discount). We obtained approval for the Additional Capacity at our 2021 Annual General Meeting. Other allotments of securities require approval by our shareholders subject to certain exemptions existing under the ASX Listing Rules.

 

Subject to the requirements of our Constitution, the Corporations Act, the ASX Listing Rules and any other applicable law, including relevant shareholder approvals, we may consolidate or divide our share capital into a larger or smaller number by resolution, reduce our share capital (provided that the reduction is fair and reasonable to our shareholders as a whole and does not materially prejudice our ability to pay creditors) or buy back our ordinary shares whether under an equal access buy-back or on a selective basis.

 

Change of Control

 

Takeovers of listed Australian public companies, such as Mobilicom are regulated by the Corporations Act, which prohibits the acquisition of a “relevant interest” in issued voting shares in a listed company if the acquisition will lead to that person’s or someone else’s voting power in Mobilicom (when aggregated with their “associates”) increasing from 20% or below to more than 20% or increasing from a starting point that is above 20% and below 90%, subject to a range of exceptions.

 

Generally, a person will have a relevant interest in securities if the person:

 

is the holder of the securities;

 

has power to exercise, or control the exercise of, a right to vote attached to the securities; or

 

has the power to dispose of, or control the exercise of a power to dispose of, the securities, including any indirect or direct power or control.

 

If, at a particular time, a person has a relevant interest in issued securities and the person:

 

has entered or enters into an agreement with another person with respect to the securities;

 

has given or gives another person an enforceable right, or has been or is given an enforceable right by another person, in relation to the securities (whether the right is enforceable presently or in the future and whether or not on the fulfillment of a condition);

 

has granted or grants an option to, or has been or is granted an option by, another person with respect to the securities; or

 

the other person would have a relevant interest in the securities if the agreement were performed, the right enforced or the option exercised;

 

the other person is taken to already have a relevant interest in the securities.

 

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There are a number of exceptions to the above prohibition on acquiring a relevant interest in issued voting shares above 20%. In general terms, some of the more significant exceptions include:

 

when the acquisition results from the acceptance of an offer under a formal takeover bid;

 

when the acquisition is conducted on market by or on behalf of the bidder under a takeover bid, the acquisition occurs during the bid period, the bid is for all the voting shares in a bid class and the bid is unconditional or only conditioned on prescribed matters set out in the Corporations Act;

 

when shareholders of Mobilicom approve the takeover by resolution passed at general meeting;

 

an acquisition by a person if, throughout the six months before the acquisition, that person or any other person has had voting power in Mobilicom of at least 19% and, as a result of the acquisition, none of the relevant persons would have voting power in Mobilicom more than three percentage points higher than they had six months before the acquisition;

 

when the acquisition results from the issue of securities under a rights issue;

 

when the acquisition results from the issue of securities under dividend reinvestment schemes;

 

when the acquisition results from the issue of securities under underwriting arrangements;

 

when the acquisition results from the issue of securities through operation of law;

 

an acquisition that arises through the acquisition of a relevant interest in another listed company which is listed on a prescribed financial market or a financial market approved by ASIC;

 

an acquisition arising from an auction of forfeited shares conducted on-market; or

 

an acquisition arising through a compromise, arrangement, liquidation or buy-back.

 

Breaches of the takeovers provisions of the Corporations Act are criminal offenses. ASIC and the Australian Takeover Panel have a wide range of powers relating to breaches of takeover provisions, including the ability to make orders canceling contracts, freezing transfers of, and rights attached to, securities, and forcing a party to dispose of securities. There are certain defenses to breaches of the takeover provisions provided in the Corporations Act. Our Constitution, which is included as an exhibit to this registration statement to which this prospectus forms a part, also contains a requirement for our shareholders to approve any proportionate takeover bid (i.e., a bid for a specified proportion of a class of securities) without the approval of a majority of our shareholders voting at a general meeting (refer Article 28 of the Constitution). For these provisions to be effective they must be approved by shareholders at a general meeting at least every three years. Article 28 of the Constitution was approved by shareholders at the 2021 Annual General Meeting and therefore is operative until July 2024 unless re-approved for a longer period. The existence of these provisions may have the effect of discouraging proportionate takeover bids and limit our shareholders’ and ADS holders’ opportunity to obtain a premium for their securities from such a transaction.

 

Ownership threshold

 

There are no provisions in our Constitution that require a shareholder to disclose ownership above a certain threshold. The Corporations Act, however, requires a shareholder to notify us and the ASX once it, together with its associates, acquires a 5% interest in our ordinary shares, at which point the shareholder will be considered to be a “substantial” shareholder. Further, once a shareholder owns a 5% interest in us, such shareholder must notify us and the ASX of any increase or decrease of 1% or more in its holding of our ordinary shares, and must also notify us and the ASX on its ceasing to be a “substantial” shareholder. Upon becoming a U.S. public company, our shareholders will also be subject to disclosure requirements under U.S. securities laws.

 

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Differences between the Law of Different Jurisdictions

 

See “Rights of the Shares” above. The Australian law applicable to our Constitution is not significantly different than a U.S. company’s charter documents except we do not have a limit on our authorized share capital, the concept of par value is not recognized under Australian law.

 

Issues of Shares and Changes in Capital

 

Subject to our Constitution, the Corporations Act, the ASX Listing Rules and any other applicable law, we may at any time issue shares and grant options or warrants on any terms, with preferred, deferred or other special rights and restrictions and for the consideration and other terms that the directors determine. Pursuant to the ASX Listing Rules, our Board may (at its discretion) issue securities to persons or entities who are not ‘related parties’ (as defined in detail in the ASX Listing Rules, however includes directors, their parents and children and other associated companies) without approval from shareholders if such issue, when aggregated with securities issued within the past twelve months, would be an amount that would exceed 15% of our issued ordinary share capital at the commencement of that 12-month period, or Placement Capacity. Certain issues are excluded from the calculation of issues which reduce the Placement Capacity, including any approval made with shareholder approval or issues under an approved ESOP. Certain ASX listed entities can seek shareholder approval to increase the Placement Capacity by a further 10% (i.e. to 25% of the company’s issued ordinary share capital) at annual general meetings, or Additional Capacity. The Additional Capacity is subject to certain further restrictions (including a requirement that securities issued under the Additional Capacity must be quoted securities and must be issued for cash at not more than a 25% market discount). We obtained approval for the Additional Capacity at our 2021 Annual General Meeting. Other allotments of securities require approval by our shareholders subject to certain exemptions existing under the ASX Listing Rules.

 

Subject to the requirements of our Constitution, the Corporations Act, the ASX Listing Rules and any other applicable law, including relevant shareholder approvals, we may consolidate or divide our share capital into a larger or smaller number by resolution, reduce our share capital (provided that the reduction is fair and reasonable to our shareholders as a whole and does not materially prejudice our ability to pay creditors) or buy back our ordinary shares whether under an equal access buy-back or on a selective basis.

 

 

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