EX-2.2 3 ea023916301ex2-2_zhengye.htm DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES

Exhibit 2.2

 

Description of Rights of Each Class of Securities
Registered under Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as Amended (the “Exchange Act”)

 

Ordinary shares, par value US$0.000025 per share (“Ordinary Shares”), of Zhengye Biotechnology Holding Limited (“we,” “our,” “our company,” or “us”) are listed and traded on the Nasdaq Capital Market, and in connection with this listing (but not for trading), its Ordinary Shares are registered under Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act. This exhibit contains a description of the rights of the holders of Ordinary Shares.

 

Description of Ordinary Shares

 

The following is a summary of material provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association currently in effect, as well as the Companies Act (Revised) of the Cayman Islands (the “Cayman Companies Act”) insofar as they relate to the material terms of our Ordinary Shares. Notwithstanding this, because it is a summary, it may not contain all the information that you may otherwise deem important. For more complete information, you should read the entirety of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, which is being filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) as Exhibit 1.1 to our annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024.

 

Type and Class of Securities (Item 9.A.5 of Form 20-F)

 

Each Ordinary Share has a par value of US$0.000025 per share. The number of Ordinary Shares that have been issued as of the last day of the financial year ended December 31, 2024 is provided on the cover of the annual report on Form 20-F filed on May 15, 2025 (the “2024 Form 20-F”). Our Ordinary Shares may be held in either certificated or uncertificated form.

 

Preemptive Rights (Item 9.A.3 of Form 20-F)

 

The holders of our Ordinary Shares do not have pre-emptive rights under the Cayman Companies Act or pursuant to our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association.

 

Limitations or Qualifications (Item 9.A.6 of Form 20-F)

  

Each Ordinary Share entitles the holder thereof to one vote on all matters subject to the vote at general meetings of our company.

 

Rights of Other Types of Securities (Item 9.A.7 of Form 20-F)

 

Not applicable.

 

Rights of Ordinary Shares (Item 10.B.3 of Form 20-F)

 

Ordinary Shares

 

All of our issued and outstanding Ordinary Shares are fully paid and non-assessable. Our Ordinary Shares are issued in registered form, and are issued when registered in our register of members. Every person whose name is entered as a shareholder in the register of members, shall be entitled without payment, to receive one certificate for all such shares of any one class or several certificates each for one or more of such shares of such class upon payment for every certificate after the first of such reasonable out-of-pocket expenses as our board of directors from time to time determines, provided that in respect of a share or shares held jointly by several persons, our company shall not be bound to issue more than one share certificate and delivery of a certificate to one of several joint holders shall be sufficient delivery to all. Our shareholders who are non-residents of the Cayman Islands may freely hold and vote their Ordinary Shares. We may not issue shares or warrants to bearer.

 

 

 

Our authorized share capital is US$50,000 divided into 2,000,000,000 Ordinary Shares of a par value of $0.000025 each. Subject to the provisions of the Cayman Companies Act and our amended and restated articles of association regarding redemption and purchase of the shares, the directors have general and unconditional authority to allot (with or without confirming rights of renunciation), grant options over or otherwise deal with any unissued shares to such persons, at such times and on such terms and conditions as they may decide. Such authority could be exercised by the directors to allot shares which carry rights and privileges that are preferential to the rights attaching to Ordinary Shares. No share may be issued at a discount to their nominal value.

 

Dividends

 

Subject to the provisions of the Cayman Companies Act and any rights attaching to any class or classes of shares under and in accordance with the articles the directors may declare dividends or distributions out of our funds which are lawfully available for that purpose.

 

Subject to the requirements of the Cayman Companies Act regarding the application of a company’s share premium account and with the sanction of an ordinary resolution, dividends may also be declared and paid out of any share premium account. The directors when paying dividends to shareholders may make such payment either in cash or in specie.

 

Unless provided by the rights attached to a share, no dividend shall bear interest.

 

Voting Rights

 

On a poll, every shareholder who is present in person and every person representing a shareholder by proxy shall have one vote for each share of which he or the person represented by proxy is the holder, unless any share carries special voting rights. In addition, all shareholders holding shares of a particular class are entitled to vote at a meeting of the holders of that class of shares. Votes may be given either personally or by proxy.

 

General Meetings of Shareholders

 

As a Cayman Islands exempted company, we are not obligated by the Cayman Companies Act to call shareholders’ annual general meetings; accordingly, we may, but shall not be obliged to, in each year hold a general meeting as an annual general meeting. All general meetings other than annual general meetings shall be called extraordinary general meetings.

 

A majority of our board of directors or the chairman of the board of directors may convene extraordinary general meetings whenever they consider necessary or desirable. Any one or more of the shareholders who (together) hold not less than one-third of all votes attaching to the total issued and paid up share capital of our company at the date of deposit of the requisition shall at all times have the right, by written requisition to the board of the directors or the secretary of our company, to require an extraordinary general meeting to be called by the board of the directors for the transaction of any business specified in such requisition; and such meeting shall be held within two months after the deposit of such requisition. If the board of directors fails to proceed to convene such meeting within 21 clear days after the date of such deposit, those shareholders who requested the meeting may convene the general meeting themselves and all reasonable expenses incurred by them as a result of the board of directors failing to convene a meeting shall be reimbursed by us.

 

At least ten clear days’ notice of a general meeting counting from the date service is deemed to take place as provided in our articles of association shall be given to such persons entitled to receive such notices from our company under our articles of association. The notice shall specify the place, the day and the hour of the meeting and the general nature of that business.

 

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Subject to the Cayman Companies Act and with the consent of all shareholders who, individually or collectively, hold at least 95 percent of the voting rights of all those who have a right to vote at a general meeting, a general meeting may be convened on shorter notice.

 

A quorum shall consist of the presence (whether in person or represented by proxy) of two members holding shares that represent not less than one-third of the total issued shares carrying the right to vote at such general meeting throughout the meeting.

 

If, within 30 minutes (or such longer time not exceeding one hour as the chairman of the meeting may determine to wait) from the time appointed for the general meeting, a quorum is not present, the meeting shall stand adjourned to the same time and place 7 days hence, or to such other time or place as is determined by the directors. If at such adjourned meeting a quorum is not present within half an hour from the time appointed for holding the meeting, the meeting shall be dissolved.

 

Prior to the holding of a general meeting, the directors may postpone, and at a general meeting the chairman may, without the consent of the meeting or shall at the direction of the meeting, adjourn the meeting from time to time and from place to place, but no business shall be transacted at any adjourned or postponed meeting other than the business which might lawfully have been transacted at the meeting from which the adjournment or postpone took place. When a meeting is adjourned for 14 days or more, at least seven clear days’ notice of the adjourned or the postponed meeting shall be given specifying the time and place of the adjourned or postponed meeting but it shall not be necessary to specify in such notice the nature of the business to be transacted at the adjourned or postponed meeting and the general nature of the business to be transacted. Save as aforesaid, it shall be unnecessary to give notice of an adjournment or postponement.

 

At any general meeting, unless a poll is duly demanded and the demand is not withdrawn, a declaration by the chairman that a resolution has been carried, or carried unanimously, or by a particular majority, or not carried by a particular majority, or lost, and an entry to that effect made in the minute book of our company, shall be conclusive evidence of the facts without proof of the number or proportion of the votes recorded for or against the resolution.

 

In the case of an equality of votes, the chairman of the meeting at which the poll is demanded, shall be entitled to a second or casting vote in addition to any other vote he may have.

 

Transfer of Ordinary Shares

 

Subject to any applicable requirements set forth in the articles of association of our company and provided that a transfer of shares complies with applicable rules of Nasdaq, a shareholder may transfer all or any of his shares to another person by an instrument in writing in any usual or common form or in a form prescribed by Nasdaq or in any other form which the directors may approve or on behalf of the transferor.

 

The transferor shall be deemed to remain the holder of an Ordinary Share until the name of the transferee is entered into our register of members in respect of the relevant shares.

 

Subject to the rules of Nasdaq and our articles of association, our board of directors may, but are not required to, decline to register any transfer of any share unless: (i) a fee of such maximum sum as the Nasdaq Stock Market may determine to be payable or such lesser sum as our directors may from time to time require is paid to us in respect thereof; (ii) the instrument of transfer is in respect of only one class of shares; (iii) the instrument of transfer is lodged with us, accompanied by the certificate for the Ordinary Shares to which it relates and such other evidence as our board of directors may reasonably require to show the right of the transferor to make the transfer; and (iv) if applicable, the instrument of transfer is properly stamped.

 

If our directors refuse to register a transfer, they shall, within two months after the date on which the transfer was lodged with our company, send to each of the transferor and the transferee notice of such refusal.

 

Liquidation

 

If we are wound up, the shareholders may, subject to the articles and any other sanction required by the Cayman Companies Act, pass a special resolution allowing the liquidator to do either or both of the following:

 

(a)to divide in specie among the shareholders the whole or any part of our assets whether they shall consist of property of the same kind or not and may and, for that purpose, to set value as he deems fair upon any property to be divided as aforesaid and determine how the division shall be carried out as between the shareholders or different classes of shareholders; and

 

(b)to vest the whole or any part of the assets in trustees upon such trusts for the benefit of the members as the liquidators, with the like approval, shall think fit, but so that no Member shall be compelled to accept any shares or other property in respect of which there is any liability.

 

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Calls on Shares and Forfeiture of Shares

 

Subject to the terms of allotment, the directors may make calls on the shareholders in respect of any monies unpaid on their shares (whether on account of the nominal value of the shares or by way of premium or otherwise), and each shareholder shall (subject to receiving at least 14 clear days’ notice in writing specifying when and where payment is to be made), pay to us the amount called on his shares. Shareholders registered as the joint holders of a share shall be jointly and severally liable to pay all calls in respect of the share. If a call remains unpaid after it has become due and payable, the person from whom the sum is due and payable shall pay interest on the sum from the day appointed for payment thereof until it is paid at such rate (not exceeding 20 percent per annum) as the directors may determine. The directors may in their absolute discretion waive payment of the interest wholly or in part.

 

Forfeiture or Surrender of Shares

 

If a shareholder fails to pay any call or installment of a call with any interest on the day appointed for payment thereof, the directors may, at any time thereafter during such time as any part of such call or installment remains unpaid, serve such shareholder not less than 14 clear days’ notice requiring payment of so much of the call or installment as is unpaid and specifying the amount unpaid including any interest and expenses accrued by the reason of such non-payment. The notice shall state the place where payment is to be made and also contain a warning that in the event of non-payment at or before the time appointed the shares in respect of which the call is made will be liable to be forfeited.

 

If such notice is not complied with, the directors may, before the payment required by the notice has been received, resolve that any share in respect of which the notice has been given be forfeited. The forfeiture shall include all dividends or other monies payable in respect of the forfeited share and not paid before the forfeiture. Despite the foregoing, the board may accept the surrender of any share liable to be forfeited.

 

A forfeited share may be sold, cancelled or otherwise disposed of on such terms and in such manner as the directors in their absolute discretion think fit, and at any time before a sale, re-allotment or disposition the forfeiture may be cancelled on such terms as the directors in their absolute discretion think fit.

 

A person whose shares have been forfeited shall be removed from the register of members as the holder of the forfeited shares and that person shall cease to be a shareholder in respect of the forfeited shares, and that person shall surrender to us for cancellation the certificate (if any) for the forfeited or surrendered shares. Despite the forfeiture or surrender of the shares, that person shall remain liable to pay to us all monies which at the date of forfeiture or surrender were presently payable by him to us in respect of the shares, together with (if the directors shall in their discretion so require) interest from the date of forfeiture or surrender until payment at such rate (not exceeding 20 percent per annum) as the directors shall determine.

 

A declaration in writing that the declarant is a director or the secretary of our company, and that a share in our company has been duly forfeited or surrendered on a date stated in the declaration, shall be conclusive evidence of the facts therein stated as against all persons claiming to be entitled to the share, and such declaration shall (subject to the execution of an instrument of transfer by our company if necessary) constitute a good title to the share, and the person to whom the share is disposed of shall be registered as the holder of the share and shall not be bound to see to the application of the consideration (if any), nor shall his title to the share be affected by any irregularity in or invalidity of the proceedings in reference to the forfeiture, sale or disposal of the share. 

 

Share Premium Account

 

The directors shall establish a share premium account and shall carry the credit of such account from time to time to a sum equal to the amount or value of the premium paid on the issue of any share or capital contributed or such other amounts required by the Cayman Companies Act.

 

Redemption and Purchase of Own Shares

 

We may issue shares on terms that such shares are subject to redemption, at our option or at the option of the holders of these shares, on such terms and in such manner as may be determined by our board of directors. Our company may also repurchase any of our shares on such terms and in such manner as have been approved by our board of directors. Under the Cayman Companies Act, the redemption or repurchase of any share may be paid out of our company’s profits, share premium or out of the proceeds of a new issue of shares made for the purpose of such redemption or repurchase, or out of capital if our company can, immediately following such payment, pay its debts as they fall due in the ordinary course of business.

 

In addition, under the Cayman Companies Act no such share may be redeemed or repurchased (a) unless it is fully paid up, (b) if such redemption or repurchase would result in there being no shares outstanding or (c) if our company has commenced liquidation. In addition, our company may accept the surrender of any fully paid share for no consideration.

 

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Issuance of Additional Shares

 

Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association authorizes our board of directors to issue additional Ordinary Shares from time to time as our board of directors shall determine, to the extent of available authorized but unissued shares.

 

Our articles of association also authorize our board of directors to establish from time to time one or more series of preference shares and to determine, with respect to any series of preference shares, the terms and rights of that series, including, among other things:

 

the designation of the series;

 

the number of shares of the series;

 

the dividend rights, dividend rates, conversion rights and voting rights; and

 

the rights and terms of redemption and liquidation preferences.

 

Our board of directors may issue preference shares without action by our shareholders to the extent of available authorized but unissued shares. Issuance of these shares may dilute the voting power of holders of Ordinary Shares.

 

Inspection of Books and Records

 

Holders of our Ordinary Shares will have no general right under the Cayman Companies Act to inspect or obtain copies of our register of members or our corporate records.

 

Requirements to Change the Rights of Holders of Ordinary Shares (Item 10.B.4 of Form 20-F)

 

Variations of Rights of Shares

 

Whenever our capital is divided into different classes of shares, the rights attaching to any class of share (unless otherwise provided by the terms of issue of the shares of that class) may be varied or abrogated with the sanction of a resolution passed by at least a two-thirds majority of the holders of shares of the class present in person or by proxy at a separate general meeting of the holders of shares of that class.

 

Unless the terms on which a class of shares was issued state otherwise, the rights conferred on the shareholder holding shares of any class shall not be deemed to be varied by the creation or issue of further shares ranking pari passu with the existing shares of that class.

 

Limitations on the Rights to Own Ordinary Shares (Item 10.B.6 of Form 20-F)

 

There are no limitations imposed by our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association on the rights of non-resident or foreign shareholders to hold or exercise voting rights on our shares.

 

Provisions Affecting Any Change of Control (Item 10.B.7 of Form 20-F)

 

Anti-Takeover Provisions

 

Some provisions of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association may discourage, delay, or prevent a change in control of our company or management that shareholders may consider favorable, including provisions that authorize our board of directors to issue shares at such times and on such terms and conditions as the board of directors may decide without any further vote or action by our shareholders.

 

Under the Cayman Companies Act, our directors may only exercise the rights and powers granted to them under our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association for what they believe in good faith to be in the best interests of our company and for a proper purpose.

 

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Ownership Threshold (Item 10.B.8 of Form 20-F)

 

There are no provisions in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association governing the ownership threshold above which shareholder ownership must be disclosed.

 

Differences Between the Law of Different Jurisdictions (Item 10.B.9 of Form 20-F)

 

The Cayman Companies Act is derived, to a large extent, from the older Companies Acts of England and Wales but does not follow recent United Kingdom statutory enactments, and accordingly there are significant differences between the Cayman Companies Act and the current Companies Act of the UK. In addition, the Cayman Companies Act differs from laws applicable to United States corporations and their shareholders. Set forth below is a summary of certain significant differences between the provisions of the Cayman Companies Act applicable to us and the comparable laws applicable to companies incorporated in the State of Delaware in the United States.

 

    Delaware   Cayman Islands
Title of Organizational Documents   Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws   Certificate of Incorporation and Memorandum and Articles of Association
         
Duties of Directors   Under Delaware law, the business and affairs of a corporation are managed by or under the direction of its board of directors. In exercising their powers, directors are charged with a fiduciary duty of care to protect the interests of the corporation and a fiduciary duty of loyalty to act in the best interests of its shareholders. The duty of care requires that directors act in an informed and deliberative manner and inform themselves, prior to making a business decision, of all material information reasonably available to them. The duty of care also requires that directors exercise care in overseeing and investigating the conduct of the corporation’s employees. The duty of loyalty may be summarized as the duty to act in good faith, not out of self-interest, and in a manner which the director reasonably believes to be in the best interests of the shareholders.   As a matter of Cayman Islands law, a director owes three types of duties to the company: (i) statutory duties, (ii) fiduciary duties, and (iii) common law duties. The Cayman Companies Act imposes a number of statutory duties on a director. A Cayman Islands director’s fiduciary duties are not codified, however the courts of the Cayman Islands have held that a director owes the following fiduciary duties (a) a duty to act in what the director bona fide considers to be in the best interests of the company, (b) a duty to exercise their powers for the purposes they were conferred, (c) a duty to avoid fettering his or her discretion in the future and (d) a duty to avoid conflicts of interest and of duty. The common law duties owed by a director are those to act with skill, care and diligence that may reasonably be expected of a person carrying out the same functions as are carried out by that director in relation to the company and, also, to act with the skill, care and diligence in keeping with a standard of care commensurate with any particular skill they have which enables them to meet a higher standard than a director without those skills. In fulfilling their duty of care to us, our directors must ensure compliance with our articles of association, as amended and restated from time to time. We have the right to seek damages where certain duties owed by any of our directors are breached.

 

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Limitations on Personal Liability of Directors   Subject to the limitations described below, a certificate of incorporation may provide for the elimination or limitation of the personal liability of a director to the corporation or its shareholders for monetary damages for a breach of fiduciary duty as a director. Such provision cannot limit liability for breach of loyalty, bad faith, intentional misconduct, unlawful payment of dividends or unlawful share purchase or redemption. In addition, the certificate of incorporation cannot limit liability for any act or omission occurring prior to the date when such provision becomes effective.   The Cayman Islands law does not limit the extent to which a company’s articles of association may provide for indemnification of Officers and directors, except to the extent any such provision may be held by the Cayman Islands courts to be contrary to public policy, such as to provide indemnification against civil fraud or the consequences of committing a crime.
         
Indemnification of Directors, Officers, Agents, and Others   A corporation has the power to indemnify any director, officer, employee, or agent of corporation who was, is, or is threatened to be made a party who acted in good faith and in a manner he believed to be in the best interests of the corporation, and if with respect to a criminal proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his conduct would be unlawful, against amounts actually and reasonably incurred.  

Cayman Islands law does not limit the extent to which a company’s memorandum and articles of association may provide for indemnification of directors and officers, except to the extent any such provision may be held by the Cayman Islands courts to be contrary to public policy, such as to provide indemnification against the consequences of committing a crime, or against the indemnified person’s own fraud or dishonesty.

 

Our articles of association provide to the extent permitted by law, we shall indemnify each existing or former secretary, director (including alternate director), and any of our other officers (including an investment adviser or an administrator or liquidator) against (a) all actions, proceedings, costs, charges, expenses, losses, damages or liabilities incurred or sustained by the existing or former director (including alternate director), secretary or officer in or about the conduct of our business or affairs or in the execution or discharge of the existing or former director (including alternate director), secretary’s or officer’s duties, powers, authorities or discretions; and (b) without limitation to paragraph (a) above, all costs, expenses, losses or liabilities incurred by the existing or former director (including alternate director), secretary or officer in defending (whether successfully or otherwise) any civil, criminal, administrative or investigative proceedings (whether threatened, pending or completed) concerning us or our affairs in any court or tribunal, whether in the Cayman Islands or elsewhere.

 

No such existing or former director (including alternate director), secretary or officer, however, shall be indemnified in respect of any matter arising out of his own actual fraud, willful default or willful neglect.

 

To the extent permitted by law, we may make a payment, or agree to make a payment, whether by way of advance, loan or otherwise, for any legal costs incurred by an existing or former director (including alternate director), secretary or any of our officers in respect of any matter identified in above on condition that the director (including alternate director), secretary or officer must repay the amount paid by us to the extent that it is ultimately found not liable to indemnify the director (including alternate director), the secretary or that officer for those legal costs.

 

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Interested Directors   Under Delaware law, a transaction in which a director who has an interest in such transaction would not be voidable if (i) the material facts as to such interested director’s relationship or interests are disclosed or are known to the board of directors and the board in good faith authorizes the transaction by the affirmative vote of a majority of the disinterested directors, even though the disinterested directors are less than a quorum, (ii) such material facts are disclosed or are known to the shareholders entitled to vote on such transaction and the transaction is specifically approved in good faith by vote of the shareholders, or (iii) the transaction is fair as to the corporation as of the time it is authorized, approved or ratified. Under Delaware law, a director could be held liable for any transaction in which such director derived an improper personal benefit.   Interested director transactions are governed by the terms of a company’s memorandum and articles of association.
         
Voting Requirements  

The certificate of incorporation may include a provision requiring supermajority approval by the directors or shareholders for any corporate action.

In addition, under Delaware law, certain business combinations involving interested shareholders require approval by a supermajority of the non-interested shareholders.

 

The Cayman Companies Act requires that a special resolution be passed by a majority of at least two-thirds or such higher percentage as set forth in the memorandum and articles of association, of shareholders being entitled to vote and do vote in person or by proxy at a general meeting, or by unanimous written consent of shareholders entitled to vote at a general meeting.

 

The Cayman Companies Act defines “special resolutions” only. A company’s memorandum and articles of association can therefore tailor the definition of “ordinary resolutions” as a whole, or with respect to specific provisions.

         
Voting for Directors   Under Delaware law, unless otherwise specified in the certificate of incorporation or bylaws of the corporation, directors shall be elected by a plurality of the votes of the shares present in person or represented by proxy at the meeting and entitled to vote on the election of directors.   Director election is governed by the terms of the memorandum and articles of association.
         
Cumulative Voting   No cumulative voting for the election of directors unless so provided in the certificate of incorporation.   There are no prohibitions in relation to cumulative voting under the Cayman Companies Act but our articles of association do not provide for cumulative voting
         
Directors’ Powers Regarding Bylaws   The certificate of incorporation may grant the directors the power to adopt, amend or repeal bylaws.   The memorandum and articles of association may only be amended by a special resolution of the shareholders.
         
Nomination and Removal of Directors and Filling Vacancies on Board   Shareholders may generally nominate directors if they comply with advance notice provisions and other procedural requirements in company bylaws. Holders of a majority of the shares may remove a director with or without cause, except in certain cases involving a classified board or if the company uses cumulative voting. Unless otherwise provided for in the certificate of incorporation, directorship vacancies are filled by a majority of the directors elected or then in office.   Nomination and removal of directors and filling of board vacancies are governed by the terms of the memorandum and articles of association.

 

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Mergers and Similar Arrangements  

Under Delaware law, with certain exceptions, a merger, consolidation, or sale of all or substantially all of the assets of a corporation must be approved by the board of directors and by a majority of the outstanding voting power of the shares entitled to vote thereon. Under Delaware law, a shareholder of a corporation participating in certain mergers are entitled to appraisal rights pursuant to which such shareholder may receive cash in the amount of the fair value (as determined by the Delaware Court of Chancery) of the shares held by such shareholder in lieu of the consideration such shareholder would otherwise receive in the transaction.

 

Delaware law also provides that a parent entity, by resolution of its board of directors, may merge with any subsidiary corporation, of which it owns at least 90% of each class of capital stock without a vote by shareholders of such subsidiary. Upon any such merger, dissenting shareholders of the subsidiary would have appraisal rights unless the subsidiary is wholly owned.

 

The Cayman Companies Act provides for the merger or consolidation of two or more companies into a single entity. The legislation makes a distinction between a “consolidation” and a “merger.” In a consolidation, a new entity is formed from the combination of each participating company, and the separate consolidating parties, as a consequence, cease to exist and are each stricken by the Registrar of Companies. In a merger, one company remains as the surviving entity, having in effect absorbed the other merging parties that are then stricken and cease to exist.

 

Two or more Cayman-registered companies may merge or consolidate. Cayman-registered companies may also merge or consolidate with foreign companies provided that the laws of the foreign jurisdiction permit such merger or consolidation.

 

Under the Cayman Companies Act, a plan of merger or consolidation shall be authorized by each constituent company by way of (i) a special resolution of the members of each such constituent company; and (ii) such other authorization, if any, as may be specified in such constituent company’s memorandum and articles of association.

         
       

A merger between a Cayman parent company and its Cayman subsidiary or subsidiaries does not require authorization by a resolution of shareholders of that Cayman subsidiary if a copy of the plan of merger is given to every member of that Cayman subsidiary to be merged unless that member agrees otherwise. For this purpose, a subsidiary is a company of which at least ninety percent (90%) of the votes are owned by the parent company.

 

The consent of each holder of a fixed or floating security interest over a constituent company is required unless this requirement is waived by a court in the Cayman Islands.

 

Save in certain circumstances, a dissentient shareholder of a Cayman constituent company is entitled to payment of the fair value of his shares upon dissenting to a merger or consolidation. The exercise of appraisal rights will preclude the exercise of any other rights save for the right to seek relief on the grounds that the merger or consolidation is void or unlawful.

 

In addition, there are statutory provisions that facilitate the reconstruction and amalgamation of companies, provided that the arrangement is approved by (i) seventy-five percent (75%) in value of the shareholders or class of shareholders or (ii) a majority in number representing seventy-five percent (75%) in value of the creditors or class of creditors, as the case may be, that are present and voting either in person or by proxy at a meeting, or meetings, convened for that purpose and thereafter sanctioned by the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands. While a dissenting shareholder has the right to express to the court the view that the transaction ought not to be approved, the court can be expected to approve the arrangement if it determines that:

 

 

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● the statutory provisions as to the required majority vote have been met;

 

●  the shareholders have been fairly represented at the meeting in question;

 

●   the arrangement is such that may be  reasonably approved by an intelligent  and honest man of that class acting in  respect of his interest; and

 

●  the arrangement is not one that would more properly be sanctioned under some other provision of the Cayman Companies Act or that would amount to a “fraud on the minority.”

 

When a takeover offer is made and accepted by holders of not less than 90.0% of the shares affected within four months, the offeror may, within a two month period commencing on the expiration of such four (4) month period, require the holders of the remaining shares to transfer such shares on the terms of the offer. An objection can be made to the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands, but this is unlikely to succeed in the case of an offer which has been so approved unless there is evidence of fraud, bad faith or collusion.

 

If an arrangement and reconstruction is thus approved, the dissenting shareholder would have no rights comparable to appraisal rights, which would otherwise ordinarily be available to dissenting shareholders of Delaware corporations, providing rights to receive payment in cash for the judicially determined value of the shares.

         
Shareholder Suits  

Class actions and derivative actions generally are available to shareholders under Delaware law for, among other things, breach of fiduciary duty, corporate waste and actions not taken in accordance with applicable law.

 

In such actions, the court generally has discretion to permit the winning party to recover attorneys’ fees incurred in connection with such action but such discretion is rarely used. Generally, Delaware follows the American rule under which each party bears its own costs.

 

In principle, we will normally be the proper plaintiff and as a general rule a derivative action may not be brought by a minority shareholder. However, based on English authorities, which would in all likelihood be of persuasive authority in the Cayman Islands, there are exceptions to the foregoing principle, including when:

 

●  an act which is illegal or ultra vires with respect to the company and is therefore incapable of ratification by the shareholders;

 

●  the act complained of, although not ultra vires, requires authorization by a qualified (or special) majority (that is, more than a simple majority) which has not been obtained; and

 

●  an act which constitutes a “fraud on the minority” where the wrongdoers are themselves in control of the company.

         
Inspection of Corporate Records   Under Delaware law, shareholders of a corporation, upon written demand under oath stating the purpose thereof, have the right during normal business hours to inspect for any proper purpose, and to make copies and extracts of list(s) of shareholders and other books and records of the corporation and its subsidiaries, if any, to the extent the books and records of such subsidiaries are available to the corporation.   Shareholders of a Cayman Islands exempted company have no general right under Cayman Islands law to inspect or obtain copies of a list of shareholders or other corporate records (other than copies of our memorandum and articles, the register of mortgages or charges, and any special resolutions passed by our shareholders) of the company. However, these rights may be provided in the company’s memorandum and articles of association.

 

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Shareholder Proposals   Under Delaware law, a shareholder has the right to put any proposal before the annual meeting of shareholders, provided it complies with the notice provisions in the corporation’s governing documents. A special meeting may be called by the board of directors or any other person authorized to do so in the corporation’s governing documents, but shareholders may be precluded from calling special meetings.   The Cayman Companies Act does not provide shareholders any right to bring business before a meeting or requisition a general meeting. However, these rights may be provided in the company’s memorandum and articles of association.
         
Approval of Corporate Matters by Written Consent   Delaware law permits shareholders to take action by written consent signed by the holders of outstanding shares having not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take such action at a meeting of shareholders unless otherwise provided in the corporation’s certificate of incorporation. A corporation must send prompt notice of the taking of the corporate action approved by shareholders without a meeting by less than unanimous written consent to those shareholders who have not consented in writing and who would have otherwise been entitled to notice of the meeting at which such action would have been taken.   The Cayman Companies Act allows a special resolution to be passed in writing if signed by all the voting shareholders (if authorized by the memorandum and articles of association).
         
Calling of Special Shareholders Meetings   Delaware law permits the board of directors or any person who is authorized under a corporation’s certificate of incorporation or bylaws to call a special meeting of shareholders.   The Cayman Companies Act does not have provisions governing the proceedings of shareholders meetings which are usually provided in the memorandum and articles of association.

 

Changes in Capital (Item 10.B.10 of Form 20-F)

 

Subject to the Cayman Companies Act, our shareholders may, by ordinary resolution:

 

(a)increase our authorized share capital by such sum, to be divided into shares of such amounts, as the resolution shall prescribe;

 

(b)consolidate and divide all or any of our share capital into shares of larger amount than our existing shares;

 

(c)without prejudice to the powers of the directors under our amended and restated articles of association, divide its shares into several classes and without prejudice to any special rights previously conferred on the holders of existing shares attach thereto respectively any preferential, deferred, qualified or special rights, privileges, conditions or such restrictions which in the absence of any such determination by our company in general meeting, as the directors may determine provided always that, for the avoidance of doubt, where a class of shares has been authorized by our company no resolution of our company in general meeting is required for the issuance of shares of that class and the directors may issue shares of that class and determine such rights, privileges, conditions or restrictions attaching thereto as aforesaid, and further provided that where our company issues shares which do not carry voting rights, the words “non-voting” shall appear in the designation of such shares and where the equity capital includes shares with different voting rights, the designation of each class of shares, other than those with the most favourable voting rights, must include the words “restricted voting” or “limited voting” ;

 

(d)sub-divide our shares or any of them into shares of an smaller amount than is fixed by our amended and restated memorandum of association (subject, nevertheless, to the Cayman Companies Act) and may by such resolution determine that, as between the holders of the shares resulting from such sub-division, one or more of the shares may have any such preferred, deferred or other rights or be subject to any such restrictions as compared with the other or others as our company has power to attach to unissued or new shares; and

 

(e)cancel any shares which, at the date of the passing of that ordinary resolution, have not been taken or agreed to be taken by any person and diminish the amount of our share capital by the amount of the shares so cancelled.

 

Subject to the Cayman Companies Act and to any rights for the time being conferred on the shareholders holding a particular class of shares, our Company may, by special resolution, reduce its share capital or any capital redemption reserve or other undistributable reserve in any manner permitted by law.

 

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Debt Securities (Item 12.A of Form 20-F)

 

Not applicable.

 

Warrants and Rights (Item 12.B of Form 20-F)

 

Not applicable.

 

Other Securities (Item 12.C of Form 20-F)

 

Not applicable.

 

Description of American Depositary Shares (Items 12.D.1 and 12.D.2 of Form 20-F)

 

Not applicable.

 

 

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