EX-5.1 5 ff12019a2ex5-1_oriental.htm OPINION OF MAPLES & CALDER (HONG KONG) LLP REGARDING THE VALIDITY OF THE ORDINARY SHARES BEING REGISTERED AND CERTAIN CAYMAN ISLANDS TAX MATTERS

Exhibit 5.1

 

Our ref ELR/761267-000001/15871082v3

 

Oriental Culture Holding LTD

No. 2, Youzishan Road, Dongba Street,

Gaochun District,

Nanjing City

Jiangsu Province 210000, People’s Republic of China

 

27 February, 2020

 

Dear Sirs

 

Oriental Culture Holding LTD

We have acted as Cayman Islands legal advisers to Oriental Culture Holding LTD (the “Company”) in connection with the Company’s registration statement on Form F-1, including all amendments or supplements thereto (the “Registration Statement”), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended to date relating to the offering by the Company of certain ordinary shares of par value US$0.0001 each (the “Shares”) and certain warrants (“Warrants”), exercisable into ordinary shares of the Company (“Warrants Shares”), to the representative of the underwriters in the offering.

 

We are furnishing this opinion as Exhibits 5.1 and 23.2 to the Registration Statement.

 

1Documents Reviewed

 

For the purposes of this opinion, we have reviewed only originals, copies or final drafts of the following documents:

 

1.1The certificate of incorporation of the Company dated 29 November 2018 issued by the Registrar of Companies in the Cayman Islands.

 

1.2The second amended and restated memorandum and articles of association of the Company as adopted by special resolution passed on 8 November 2019 (the “Memorandum and Articles”).

 

1.3The written resolutions of the directors of the Company dated 12 November 2019 (the “Board Resolutions”).

 

1.4The written resolutions of the shareholders of the Company dated 12 November 2019 (the “Shareholders’ Resolutions”).

 

1.5A certificate from a director of the Company, a copy of which is attached hereto (the “Director’s Certificate”).

 

1.6A certificate of good standing with respect to the Company issued by the Registrar of Companies dated 10 February 2020 (the “Certificate of Good Standing”).

 

1.7The Registration Statement.

 

 

 

 

2Assumptions

 

The following opinions are given only as to, and based on, circumstances and matters of fact existing and known to us on the date of this opinion letter. These opinions only relate to the laws of the Cayman Islands which are in force on the date of this opinion letter. In giving these opinions we have relied (without further verification) upon the completeness and accuracy, as of the date of this opinion letter, of the Director’s Certificate and the Certificate of Good Standing. We have also relied upon the following assumptions, which we have not independently verified:

 

2.1Copies of documents, conformed copies or drafts of documents provided to us are true and complete copies of, or in the final forms of, the originals.

 

2.2All signatures, initials and seals are genuine.

 

2.3There is nothing under any law (other than the law of the Cayman Islands), which would or might affect the opinions set out below.

 

3Opinion

 

Based upon the foregoing and subject to the qualifications set out below and having regard to such legal considerations as we deem relevant, we are of the opinion that:

 

3.1The Company has been duly incorporated as an exempted company with limited liability and is validly existing and in good standing with the Registrar of Companies under the laws of the Cayman Islands.

 

3.2The authorised share capital of the Company USD50,000.00 divided into 1,000,000,000 shares comprising of (i) 900,000,000 ordinary shares of a nominal or par value of USD0.00005 each; and (ii) 100,000,000 preferred shares of a nominal or par value of USD0.00005 each.

 

3.3The issue and allotment of the Shares and Warrant Shares have been duly authorised and when allotted, issued and paid for as contemplated in the Registration Statement, the Shares and Warrant Shares will be legally issued and allotted, fully paid and non-assessable. As a matter of Cayman law, a share is only issued when it has been entered in the register of members (shareholders).

 

3.4The issue of the Warrants has been duly authorised by all required corporate action of the Company.

 

3.5The statements under the caption “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.

 

4Qualifications

 

In this opinion the phrase “non-assessable” means, with respect to the Shares in the Company, that a shareholder shall not, solely by virtue of its status as a shareholder, be liable for additional assessments or calls on the Shares by the Company or its creditors (except in exceptional circumstances, such as involving fraud, the establishment of an agency relationship or an illegal or improper purpose or other circumstances in which a court may be prepared to pierce or lift the corporate veil).

 

Except as specifically stated herein, we make no comment with respect to any representations and warranties which may be made by or with respect to the Company in any of the documents or instruments cited in this opinion or otherwise with respect to the commercial terms of the transactions, which are the subject of this opinion.

 

We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and to the reference to our name under the headings “Enforceability of Civil Liabilities”, “Taxation” and “Legal Matters” and elsewhere in the prospectus included 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 U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Rules and Regulations of the Commission thereunder.

 

Yours faithfully

 

/s/ Maples and Calder (Hong Kong) LLP  
Maples and Calder (Hong Kong) LLP  

 

2

 

 

Director’s Certificate