EX-5.1 2 d8353325_ex5-1.htm
Exhibit 5.1


 
Seward & Kissel llp
ONE BATTERY PARK PLAZA
NEW YORK, NEW YORK  10004
 
     
 
TELEPHONE:  (212)  574-1200
FACSIMILE:  (212) 480-8421
WWW.SEWKIS.COM
901 K STREET, NW
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20001
TELEPHONE:  (202) 737-8833
FACSIMILE:  (202) 737-5184
     
   

August 9, 2019
 


Eagle Bulk Shipping Inc.
300 First Stamford Place, 5th Floor
Stamford, Connecticut 06902

Re: Eagle Bulk Shipping Inc.
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as United States and Marshall Islands counsel to Eagle Bulk Shipping Inc. (the “Company”) in connection with the Company’s registration statement on Form S-3 (such registration statement as amended or supplemented from time to time) (the “Registration Statement”) as filed on the date hereof with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”), relating to the registration under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) and offering (A) by the Company in one or more public offerings (collectively, the “Offering”) of an indeterminate amount of securities, which may include shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Common Shares”), shares of the Company’s preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Preferred Shares”), debt securities of the Company (the “Debt Securities”), which may be guaranteed by one or more of our subsidiaries (the “Guarantees”), warrants to purchase the Company’s securities (the “Warrants”), purchase contracts to purchase the Company’s securities (the “Purchase Contracts”), rights to purchase the Company’s securities (the “Rights”) and units comprised of any of the foregoing securities (the “Units”), in an aggregate amount not to exceed $750,000,000; and (B) by certain selling shareholders named in the Registration Statement or in a subsequent prospectus supplement of (i) 50,761,679 shares of Common Stock, (ii) 537 warrants (the “Existing Warrants”), (iii) up to 537 shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Existing Warrants offered by the selling shareholders, and (iv) up to 537 shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Existing Warrants offered by the Company (together, such securities as described in this clause (B) shall constitute the “Secondary Securities”).
We have examined originals or copies, certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of: (i) the Registration Statement; (ii) the prospectus of the Company included in the Registration Statement (the “Prospectus”); and (iii) such corporate documents and records of the Company and such other instruments, certificates and documents as we have deemed necessary or appropriate as a basis for the opinions hereinafter expressed.  In such examinations, we have assumed the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to us as copies or drafts of documents to be executed, the genuineness of all signatures and the legal competence or capacity of persons or entities to complete the execution of documents.  As to various questions of fact that are material to the opinions hereinafter expressed, we have relied upon statements or certificates of public officials, directors of the Company and others.


Eagle Bulk Shipping Inc.
August 9, 2019
Page 2 of 2


Based upon and subject to the foregoing, and having regard to such other legal considerations which we deem relevant, we are of the opinion that under the laws of the Republic of the Marshall Islands:
1. The Common Shares and the Preferred Shares have been duly authorized and when (i) the Company has taken all necessary action to approve the issuance of such Common Shares and Preferred Shares, the terms of the offering thereof and related matters and (ii) the Common Shares and Preferred 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 Common Shares or Preferred Shares, together with such total number of Common Shares or Preferred 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 Common Shares or Preferred Shares under the Company's Articles of Incorporation, as amended and then in effect, then such Common Shares and Preferred Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.
2. With respect to the Warrants, Rights and Purchase Contracts (together the “Subscription Securities”), when (i) the Company has taken all necessary action to approve the issuance and terms of such Subscription Securities, the terms of the offering and related matters and (ii) the Subscription Securities 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 and as contemplated in the Prospectus or prospectus supplement related thereto, and upon payment of the consideration therefor, if any, provided for therein and in any applicable definitive purchase, underwriting or similar agreement approved by the Company, then the Subscription Securities 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 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.
3. With respect to the Debt Securities, when the applicable indenture relating to such Debt Securities (the “Indenture”) has been duly qualified 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, the Debt Securities will be legally 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.



4. 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 then the Units will be validly issued, fully paid, and non-assessable.
5. Under the laws of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Secondary Securities have been duly authorized, validly issued and are fully paid for and non-assessable.
This opinion is limited to the laws of the State of New York and the laws of the Republic of the Marshall Islands as in effect on the date hereof.
We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement, and to each reference to us and the discussions of advice provided by us under the headings “Legal Matters” in the Prospectus, without admitting we are “experts” within the meaning of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder with respect to any part of the Registration Statement.


 
Very truly yours,


/s/ Seward & Kissel LLP