EX-5.1 2 ea192064ex5-1_jiuziholdings.htm OPINION OF MAPLES AND CALDER (HONG KONG) LLP, CAYMAN ISLAND COUNSEL OF JIUZI HOLDINGS INC.

Exhibit 5.1

 

 

Our refJVZ/776654-000001/28452982v2

 

Jiuzi Holdings Inc.

No.168 Qianjiang Nongchang Gengwen Road, 15th Floor

Economic and Technological Development Zone

Xiaoshan District, Hangzhou City

Zhejiang Province 310000

People’s Republic of China

 

24 January 2024

 

Dear Sirs

 

Jiuzi Holdings Inc.

 

We have acted as Cayman Islands legal advisers to Jiuzi Holdings Inc. (the “Company”) in connection with the Company’s registration statement on Form F-3, including all amendments or supplements thereto (the “Registration Statement”), filed on 24 January 2024 with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended to date relating to the resale by certain selling shareholders named in the Registration Statement (the “Selling Shareholders”) of up to an aggregate of 113,636,360 ordinary shares, par value US$0.00015 per share in the Company (the “Shares”).

 

We are furnishing this opinion as Exhibits 5.1 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:

 

1.1 The certificate of incorporation of the Company dated 10 October 2019 issued by the Registrar of Companies in the Cayman Islands.

 

1.2 The third amended and restated memorandum and articles of association of the Company adopted by a special resolution passed on 30 November 2023 (the “Memorandum and Articles”).

 

1.3 The written resolutions of the board of directors of the Company (the “Board”) dated 12 January 2024 (the “Resolutions”).

 

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

 

1.5 A certificate of good standing dated 11 January 2024, issued by the Registrar of Companies in the Cayman Islands (the “Certificate of Good Standing”).

 

 

 

 

 

 

1.6 The Registration Statement.

 

1.7 The Prospectus Supplement.

 

1.8 Executed copies of the transaction documents listed in the Schedule (the “Transaction Documents”).

 

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 the following opinions, we have relied (without further verification) upon the completeness and accuracy, as at 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:

 

2.1 Copies 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.

 

2.2 All signatures, initials and seals are genuine.

 

2.3 The Transaction Documents have been or will be authorised and duly executed and unconditionally delivered by or on behalf of all relevant parties in accordance with all relevant laws (other than, with respect to the Company, the laws of the Cayman Islands).

 

2.4 The Transaction Documents are, or will be, legal, valid, binding and enforceable against all relevant parties in accordance with their terms under the laws of the State of New York and all other relevant laws (other than, with respect to the Company, the laws of the Cayman Islands).

 

2.5 The choice of the laws of the State of New York as the governing law of the Transaction Documents has been made in good faith and would be regarded as a valid and binding selection which will be upheld by the state and federal courts sitting in the City of New York, Borough of Manhattan and any other relevant jurisdiction (other than the Cayman Islands) as a matter of the laws of the State of New York and all other relevant laws (other than the laws of the Cayman Islands).

 

2.6 The Company will have sufficient authorized but unissued Shares in its authorized share capital to enable the Company to issue the Shares.

 

2.7 The Company will receive money or money’s worth in consideration for the issue of the Shares, and none of the Shares will be issued for less than their par value.

 

2.8 The capacity, power, authority and legal right of all parties under all relevant laws and regulations (other than, with respect to the Company, the laws and regulations of the Cayman Islands) to enter into, execute, unconditionally deliver and perform their respective obligations under the Transaction Documents.

 

2.9 There is no contractual or other prohibition or restriction (other than as arising under Cayman Islands law) binding on the Company prohibiting or restricting it from entering into and performing its obligations under the Transaction Documents.

 

2.10 No monies paid to or for the account of any party under the Transaction Documents or any property received or disposed of by any party to the Transaction Documents in each case in connection with the Transaction Documents or the consummation of the transactions contemplated thereby represent or will represent proceeds of criminal conduct or criminal property or terrorist property (as defined in the Proceeds of Crime Act (As Revised) and the Terrorism Act (As Revised), respectively).

 

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2.11 There is nothing under any law (other than the laws of the Cayman Islands) which would or might affect the opinions set out below. Specifically, we have made no independent investigation of the laws of the State of New York.

 

3Opinions

 

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

 

3.1 The 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.

 

3.2 The authorised share capital of the Company is US$150,000.00 divided into 1,000,000,000 Shares each of a par value of US$0.00015 each.

 

3.3 The issue and allotment of the Shares to be offered and sold by the Selling Shareholders as contemplated in the Registration Statement have been duly authorised. The Shares are legally issued and allotted and (assuming the purchase price therefor has been paid in full) fully paid and non-assessable.

 

4Qualifications

 

The opinions expressed above are subject to the following qualifications:

 

4.1 To maintain the Company in good standing with the Registrar of Companies under the laws of the Cayman Islands, annual filing fees must be paid and returns made to the Registrar of Companies within the time frame prescribed by law.

 

4.2 Under the Companies Act, the register of members of a Cayman Islands company is by statute regarded as prima facie evidence of any matters which the Companies Act directs or authorises to be inserted therein. A third party interest in the shares in question would not appear. An entry in the register of members may yield to a court order for rectification (for example, in the event of fraud or manifest error).

 

4.3 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).

 

4.4 We express no opinion as to the meaning, validity or effect of any references to foreign (i.e. non-Cayman Islands) statutes, rules, regulations, codes, judicial authority or any other promulgations and any references to them in the Transaction Documents.

 

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 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

 

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Schedule

 

Transaction Documents

 

1.Securities Purchase Agreement dated 10 October 2023 entered into between, among others, the Company and the Purchasers (the “Securities Purchase Agreement”).

 

2.Form of Warrant to be signed by the Company.

 

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Director’s Certificate

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Director’s Certificate

 

19 January 2024

 

To:

Maples and Calder (Hong Kong) LLP

26th Floor, Central Plaza

18 Harbour Road
Wanchai, Hong Kong

 

Dear Sirs

 

Jiuzi Holdings Inc. (the “Company”)

 

I, the undersigned, being a director of the Company, am aware that you are being asked to provide a legal opinion (the “Opinion”) in relation to certain aspects of Cayman Islands law. Capitalised terms used in this certificate have the meaning given to them in the Opinion. I hereby certify that:

 

1The Memorandum and Articles remain in full and effect and are unamended.

 

2The Resolutions were duly passed in the manner prescribed in the Memorandum and Articles (including, without limitation, with respect to the disclosure of interests (if any) by directors of the Company) and have not been amended, varied or revoked in any respect.

 

3The minute book and corporate records of the Company as maintained at its registered office in the Cayman Islands and made available to you are complete and accurate in all material respects, and all minutes and resolutions filed therein represent a complete and accurate record of all meetings of the Shareholders and directors (or any committee thereof) of the Company (duly convened in accordance with the Memorandum and Articles) and all resolutions passed at the meetings or passed by written resolution or consent, as the case may be.

 

4The authorised share capital of the Company is US$150,000.00 divided into 150,000,000 Shares each of a par value of US$0.001 each.

 

5The shareholders of the Company have not restricted or limited the powers of the directors in any way and there is no contractual or other prohibition (other than as arising under Cayman Islands law) binding on the Company prohibiting it from issuing and allotting the Shares or otherwise performing its obligations under the Registration Statement.

 

6The directors of the Company at the date of the Resolutions and this Certificate were and are as follows: Shuibo Zhang, Tao Li, Jehn Min Lim, Yi Zhu, and Zhenhao Qiu.

 

 

 

 

7All of the issued shares in the capital of the Company have been duly and validly authorised and issued and are fully paid and non-assessable (meaning that no further sums are payable to the Company on such shares and the Company has received payment therefor).

 

8Each director considers the transactions contemplated by the Registration Statement to be of commercial benefit to the Company and has acted bona fide in the best interests of the Company, and for a proper purpose of the Company in relation to the transactions which are the subject of the Opinion.

 

9To the best of my knowledge and belief, having made due inquiry, the Company is not the subject of legal, arbitral, administrative or other proceedings in any jurisdiction and neither the Directors nor Shareholders have taken any steps to have the Company struck off or placed in liquidation. Further, no steps have been taken to wind up the Company or to appoint restructuring officers or interim restructuring officers, and no receiver has been appointed in relation to any of the Company’s property or assets.

 

10The Company is not subject to the requirements of Part XVIIA of the Companies Act (As Revised).

 

I confirm that you may continue to rely on this Certificate as being true and correct on the day that you issue the Opinion unless I shall have previously notified you personally to the contrary.

 

[signature page follows]

 

 

 

 

Signature:  /s/ Tao Li  
Name: Tao Li  
Title: Director