EX-5.1 5 tm2135508d1_ex5-1.htm EXHIBIT 5.1

 

Exhibit 5.1

 

CONYERS DILL & PEARMAN
29th Floor
One Exchange Square
8 Connaught Place
Central
Hong Kong
T +852 2524 7106  |  F +852 2845 9268
conyers.com

 

8 February 2022

Matter No.: 834397
852 2842 9530
Richard.Hall@conyers.com

 

TROOPS, Inc.

21/F, 8 Fui Yiu Kok Street,

Tsuen Wan, New Territories,

Hong Kong

 

Dear Sir/ Madam,

 

Re: TROOPS, Inc. (the “Company”)

 

We have acted as special Cayman Islands legal counsel to the Company in connection with a registration statement on form F-1A filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) on or about the date hereof (the “Registration Statement”) relating to the proposed public offering by the Company under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, (the “Securities Act”) of (i) ordinary shares par value US$0.004 each (“Ordinary Shares”, which term includes any ordinary shares to be issued pursuant to the conversion, exchange or exercise of any Warrants, as defined below), and (ii) warrants to purchase Ordinary Shares (the “Warrants”) up to a maximum amount of US$115,000,000 (collectively the “Securities”).

 

1.DOCUMENTS REVIEWED

 

For the purposes of giving this opinion, we have examined the following documents:

 

1.1.a copy of the Registration Statement; and

 

1.2.the prospectus (the “Prospectus”) forming a part of the Registration Statement.

 

The documents listed in items 1.1 and 1.2 above are herein sometimes collectively referred to as the "Documents" (which term does not include any other instrument or agreement whether or not specifically referred to therein or attached as an exhibit or schedule thereto).

 

We have also reviewed:

 

1.3.a copy of the Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Company, each certified by the assistant Secretary of the Company on 22 November 2021;

 

Partners: Piers J. Alexander, Christopher W. H. Bickley, Peter H. Y. Ch’ng, Anna W. T. Chong, Angie Y. Y. Chu, Vivien C. S. Fung, Richard J. Hall, Norman Hau, Wynne Lau, Paul M. L. Lim, Michael J. Makridakis, Teresa F. Tsai, Flora K. Y. Wong, Lilian S. C. Woo, Mark P. Yeadon

 

Consultant: David M. Lamb

 

BERMUDA | BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS | CAYMAN ISLANDS

 

 

 

 

1.4.a copy of a Certificate of Good Standing issued by the Registrar of Companies in relation to the Company on 13 January 2022 (the “Certificate Date”); and

 

1.5.such other documents and made such enquiries as to questions of law as we have deemed necessary in order to render the opinion set forth below.

 

2.ASSUMPTIONS

 

We have assumed:

 

2.1.the genuineness and authenticity of all signatures and the conformity to the originals of all copies (whether or not certified) examined by us and the authenticity and completeness of the originals from which such copies were taken;

 

2.2.that where a document has been examined by us in draft form, it will be or has been executed in the form of that draft, and where a number of drafts of a document have been examined by us all changes thereto have been marked or otherwise drawn to our attention;

 

2.3.the due issue, execution and delivery of the Documents by each of the parties thereto, other than the Company, and the physical delivery thereof by the Company with an intention to be bound thereby;

 

2.4.the accuracy and completeness of all factual representations made in the Documents and other documents reviewed by us;

 

2.5.that the applicable purchase, underwriting, or similar agreement and any other agreement or other document relating to any Securities to be offered and sold will be valid and binding in accordance with its terms pursuant to its governing law;

 

2.6.that the Company will issue the Securities in furtherance of its objects as set out in its memorandum of association;

 

2.7.that the memorandum and articles of association of the Company will not be amended in any manner that would affect the opinions expressed herein;

 

2.8.that the form and terms of the Warrants, the issuance and sale of any Securities by the Company, and the Company’s incurrence and performance of its obligations thereunder or in respect thereof (including, without limitation, its obligations under any related agreement, indenture or supplement thereto) in accordance with the terms thereof will not violate the memorandum and articles of association of the Company nor any applicable law, regulation, order or decree in the Cayman Islands;

 

2.9.that all necessary corporate action will be taken to authorise and approve any issuance of Securities, the terms of the offering thereof and related matters, and that the applicable definitive purchase, underwriting or similar agreement, will be duly approved, executed and delivered by or on behalf of the Company and all other parties thereto;

 

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2.10.that the issuance and sale of and payment for the Securities will be in accordance with the applicable purchase, underwriting or similar agreement duly approved by the board of directors of the Company and/or where so required, the shareholders of the Company and the Registration Statement (including the prospectus set forth therein and any applicable supplement thereto);

 

2.11.that there is no provision of the law of any jurisdiction, other than the Cayman Islands, which would have any implication in relation to the opinions expressed herein;

 

2.12.none of the Ordinary Shares or Warrants has been or will be offered or issued to residents of the Cayman Islands;

 

2.13.that, upon the issue of any Ordinary Shares, the Company will receive consideration for the full issue price thereof which shall be equal to at least the par value thereof;

 

2.14.the validity and binding effect under the laws of the State of New York (the "Foreign Laws") of the Documents which are expressed to be governed by such Foreign Laws in accordance with their respective terms;

 

2.15.that the Registration Statement will be declared effective by the Commission prior to the issue of any Securities by the Company; and

 

2.16.that on the dates of (i) issuing or entering into the Documents and (ii) the issue of any Ordinary Shares, the Company is and after issuing or entering into the Documents or issuing the Ordinary Shares will be able to pay its liabilities as they become due.

 

3.QUALIFICATIONS

 

3.1.The term “enforceable” as used in this opinion means that an obligation is of a type which the courts of the Cayman Islands enforce. It does not mean that those obligations will be enforced in all circumstances in accordance with the terms of the Documents. In particular, the obligations of the Company under the Documents:

 

(a)will be subject to the laws from time to time in effect relating to bankruptcy, insolvency, liquidation, possessory liens, rights of set off, reorganisation, amalgamation, merger, consolidation, moratorium, bribery, corruption, money laundering, terrorist financing, proliferation financing or any other laws or legal procedures, whether of a similar nature or otherwise, generally affecting the rights of creditors as well as applicable international sanctions;

 

(b)will be subject to statutory limitation of the time within which proceedings may be brought;

 

(c)will be subject to general principles of equity and, as such, specific performance and injunctive relief, being equitable remedies, may not be available;

 

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(d)may not be given effect to by a Cayman Islands court, whether or not it was applying the Foreign Laws, if and to the extent they constitute the payment of an amount which is in the nature of a penalty; and

 

(e)may not be given effect by a Cayman Islands court to the extent that they are to be performed in a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands and such performance would be illegal under the laws of that jurisdiction. Notwithstanding any contractual submission to the exclusive or non-exclusive jurisdiction of specific courts, a Cayman Islands court has inherent discretion to stay or allow proceedings in the Cayman Islands against the Company under the Documents if there are other proceedings in respect of those Documents simultaneously underway against the Company in another jurisdiction.

 

3.2.We express no opinion as to the enforceability of any provision of the Documents which provides for the payment of a specified rate of interest on the amount of a judgment after the date of judgment or which purports to fetter the statutory powers of the Company.

 

3.3.We have made no investigation of and express no opinion in relation to the laws of any jurisdiction other than the Cayman Islands. This opinion is to be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Cayman Islands and is limited to and is given on the basis of the current law and practice in the Cayman Islands. This opinion is issued solely for your benefit and use in connection with the matter described herein and is not to be relied upon by any other person, firm or entity or in respect of any other matter.

 

4.OPINION

 

On the basis of and subject to the foregoing, we are of the opinion that:

 

4.1.The Company is duly incorporated and existing under the laws of the Cayman Islands and, based on the Certificate of Good Standing, is in good standing as at the Certificate Date. Pursuant to the Companies Act (“Act”), a company is deemed to be in good standing if all fees and penalties under the Act have been paid and the Registrar of Companies has no knowledge that the company is in default under the Act.

 

4.2.When issued and paid for in accordance with the Documents and upon receipt by the Company of the consideration therefor, the Ordinary Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable (which term when used herein means that no further sums are required to be paid by the holders thereof in connection with the issue thereof).

 

4.3.Upon the due issuance of any Warrants by the Company and payment of the consideration therefor, such Warrants will be validly issued and constitute legal, valid and binding obligations of the Company in accordance with the terms thereof.

 

4.4.The statements under the caption “Taxation — Cayman Islands Taxation” in the Prospectus forming part of the Registration Statement, to the extent that they constitute statements of Cayman Islands law, are accurate in all material respects and that such statements constitute our opinion.

 

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We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion with the Commission as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and to the references to us under the heading “Legal Matters” in the Prospectus contained in the Registration Statement. In giving such consent, we do not thereby admit that we come within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act, or the Rules and Regulations of the Commission thereunder.

 

Yours faithfully,

 

Conyers Dill & Pearman

 

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