EX-2.1 2 ntcl-20240930xex2d1.htm EX-2.1

Exhibit 2.1

DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES

A summary of the material provisions governing our securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) is provided below. This summary is not complete and should be read together with our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (the “Articles”), a copy of which is filed with the U.S. Securities Exchange and Commission (the “SEC”). References herein to “we,” “us,” “our,” “NetClass” and the “Company” are to NETCLASS TECHNOLOGY INC.

We are a Cayman Islands exempted company, and our affairs are governed by our Articles and the Companies Act (Revised) of the Cayman Islands, which we refer to as the Companies Act below (each as amended or modified from time to time). We had the following series of securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act:

Title of Each Class

  

Trading symbol

  

Name of Each Exchange On Which Registered

Class A Ordinary shares, par value $0.00025 per share

 

NTCL

 

The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC

As provided in the Articles, our authorized share capital is US$500,000 divided into 200,000,000 shares comprising of (i) 190,000,000 Class A Ordinary Shares of par value USD0.00025 each and (ii) 10,000,000 Class B Ordinary Shares of par value USD0.00025 each.

Class A Ordinary Share and Class B Ordinary Share

Our authorized share capital is US$50,000 divided into 200,000,000 shares comprising of (i) 190,000,000 Class A ordinary shares of par value US$0.00025 each and (ii) 10,000,000 Class B ordinary shares of par value US$0.00025 each. As of the date of this annual report, 15,830,000 Class A ordinary shares and 2,000,000 Class B ordinary shares are issued and outstanding.

Each Class B ordinary share is convertible into one (1) Class A ordinary share at any time at the option of the holder thereof. The right to convert shall be exercisable by the holder of the Class B ordinary share delivering a written notice to the Company that such holder elects to convert a specified number of Class B ordinary shares into Class A ordinary shares. In no event shall Class A ordinary shares be convertible into Class B ordinary shares.

Any conversion of Class B ordinary shares into Class A ordinary shares pursuant to the articles shall be effected by redeeming the relevant Class B ordinary shares and in consideration therefor issuing fully-paid Class A ordinary shares in equal number. Such conversion shall become effective forthwith upon entries being made in the register of members of our company to record the conversion of the relevant Class B ordinary shares as Class A ordinary shares.

At the completion of this offering assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option, there will be 15,560,000 Class A ordinary share and 2,000,000 Class B ordinary shares issued and outstanding. Shares sold in this offering will be delivered against payment from the underwriters upon the closing of the offering in New York, New York, on or about December 16, 2024.

Dividends

Subject to the Cayman Islands Companies Act, our directors may declare and pay out of the funds of our company lawfully available for such purpose a distribution at a time and of an amount they think fit. Under the laws of the Cayman Islands, our company may pay a dividend out of either profit or share premium account; provided that in no circumstances may a dividend be paid if this would result in our company being unable to pay its debts as they fall due in the ordinary course of business.


Voting Rights

Holders of Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares shall, at all times, vote together as one class on all matters submitted to a vote by the shareholders at any general meeting of the Company. Each Class A ordinary share shall entitle the holder thereof to one (1) vote on all matters subject to the vote at general meetings of our company, and each Class B ordinary share shall entitle the holder thereof to fifteen (15) votes on all matters subject to the vote at general meetings of our company.

An ordinary resolution to be passed by the shareholders requires the affirmative vote of a simple majority of the votes attached to the ordinary shares cast by those shareholders entitled to vote who are present in person or by proxy (or, in the case of corporations, by their duly authorized representatives) at a general meeting, while a special resolution requires the affirmative vote of a majority of not less than two-thirds of the votes attached to the ordinary shares cast by those shareholders who are present in person or by proxy (or, in the case of corporations, by their duly authorized representatives) at a general meeting. Both ordinary resolutions and special resolutions may also be passed by a unanimous written resolution signed by all the shareholders of our company, as permitted by the Cayman Islands Companies Act and our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. A special resolution will be required for important matters such as a change of name or making changes to our memorandum and articles of association.

Variation of Rights of Shares

If, at any time our share capital is divided into different classes of shares, the rights attached to any class of (unless otherwise provided by the terms of issue of the shares of that class) may be varied either with the consent in writing of the holders of not less than two-thirds of the issued shares of that class, or with the sanction of a special resolution passed at a separate general meeting of the holders of shares of that class.

The rights conferred on the holders of the shares of any class shall, unless otherwise expressly provided by the terms of issue of the shares of that class, not be deemed to be varied by the creation or issue of further shares ranking pari passu there with.

Alteration of Share Capital

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

(a)

increase our share capital by such sum, to be divided into shares of such amount, and with the attached rights, privileges, priorities and restrictions 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)

sub-divide our shares or any of them into shares of an amount smaller than that fixed by the memorandum; and

(d)

cancel shares which, at the date of the passing of the resolution, have not been taken or agreed to be taken by any person.

Subject to the Cayman Islands Companies Act and the articles, our shareholders may, by special resolution, reduce its share capital and any capital redemption reserve in any manner.

 Calls on Shares and Forfeiture of Shares

Subject to the terms of allotment, the directors may, from time to time, make calls on the shareholders in respect of some or all of any monies unpaid on their shares whether in respect of their par value or the premium payable on those shares and each shareholder shall (subject to receiving at least 14 days’ notice specifying the time or times of payment), pay to us at the time or times so specified the amount called on his shares. Shareholders registered as the joint holders of a share shall be jointly and severally liable to pay calls in respect of the share. If a sum called in respect of a share is not paid before or on the day appointed for payment of that call, the shareholder from whom such amount is due shall pay interest upon the sum at such rate as the directors may determine from the day appointed for payment of the call to the time of the actual payment. The directors may, at their discretion, waive payment of any such interest in full or in part. The shares that have been called upon and remain unpaid are subject to forfeiture.


Redemption, Repurchase and Surrender of 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, before the issue of such shares, by our directors. Our company may also repurchase any of our shares (including any redeemable shares) on such terms and in such manner as have been approved by our directors. Under the Cayman Islands Companies Act, the redemption or repurchase of any share may be paid out of our company’s profits or out of the proceeds of a new issue of shares made for the purpose of such redemption or repurchase, or out of capital (including share premium account and capital redemption reserve) 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 Islands Companies Act no such share may be redeemed or repurchased (i) unless it is fully paid up, (ii) if such redemption or repurchase would result in there being no shares outstanding, or (iii) if the company has commenced liquidation. In addition, our company may accept the surrender of any fully paid share for no consideration.

Transfer of Shares

Subject to the restrictions set out below, any of our shareholders may transfer all or any of his or her ordinary share to another person by completing an instrument of transfer in writing in such forms as may be acceptable to the directors and shall be executed by or on behalf of the transferor and, if required by the directors, signed by the transferee.

The transferor shall be deemed to remain the holder of an ordinary share until the name of the transferee is entered into the register of members of our company.

The directors may, in their absolute discretion, refuse to consent to any transfer and decline to register the transfer without giving any reason. If our directors refuse to register a transfer, they are required, within two months after the date on which the transfer was lodged with us, to send to the transferee of such refusal.

Inspection of Books and Records

Holders of our ordinary share will have no general right under the Cayman Islands law to inspect or obtain copies of our list of shareholders or our corporate records (other than copies of our memorandum and articles of association and register of mortgages and charges, and any special resolutions passed by our shareholders). Under Cayman Islands law, the names of our current directors can be obtained from a search conducted at the Registrar of Companies in the Cayman Islands. However, we intend to provide our shareholders with annual audited financial statements. See “Where You Can Find Additional Information.”

General Meetings of Shareholders

As a Cayman Islands exempted company, we are not obligated by the Cayman Islands 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. Any annual general meeting shall be held at such time and place as may be determined by our board of directors. All general meetings other than annual general meetings shall be called extraordinary general meetings.

The directors may convene a general meeting as they think fit. Upon the written request of shareholders entitled to exercise 10% or more of the voting rights in respect of the matter for which the meeting is requisitioned, any one or more of the directors shall forthwith proceed to convene a meeting of shareholders. In the event that the directors do not convene such meeting within 21 days of the written request to requisition a meeting being lodged, the requisitionists, or any of them together holding at least half of the voting rights of all of them, may convene the general meeting of shareholders in the same manner as nearly as possible as that in which a meeting of shareholders may be convened by a director. Where the requisitionists fail to convene the meeting of shareholders within three months of their right to convene the meeting arising, the right to convene the meeting of shareholders shall lapse.

No less than seven days’ notice of a general meeting of shareholders shall be given to shareholders whose names on the date the notice is given appear as shareholders in the register of members of our company and are entitled to attend and vote at such meeting. Notice of every general meeting shall also be given to each of the directors.


Subject to the Cayman Islands Companies Act, a meeting of shareholders held in contravention of the requirement to give notice is valid if shareholders holding at least 90% of the total voting rights on all the matters to be considered at the meeting have waived notice of the meeting and, for this purpose, the presence of a shareholder at the meeting shall constitute waiver in relation to all the shares which that shareholder holds.

A quorum shall consist of the presence (whether in person or by proxy or, if a corporate or other non-natural person, by its duly authorized representative or proxy) of one or more shareholders holding shares that represent in aggregate not less than one-third of all votes attaching to all shares in issue and entitled to vote at such general meeting.

If, within two hours from the time appointed for the general meeting, a quorum is not present, the meeting, if convened upon the requisition of shareholders, shall be dissolved. In any other case it shall stand adjourned to the next business day in the jurisdiction in which the meeting was to have been held at the same time and place or to such other time and place as is determined by the directors, and if at the adjourned meeting a quorum is not present within half an hour from the time appointed for the meeting the shareholders present shall be a quorum.

At any meeting of the shareholders the chairman is responsible for deciding in such manner as he considers appropriate whether any resolution proposed has been carried or not and the result of his decision shall be announced to the meeting and recorded in the minutes of the meeting. If the chairman has any doubt as to the outcome of the vote on a proposed resolution, he shall cause a poll to be taken of all votes cast upon such resolution. If the chairman fails to take a poll then any shareholder present in person or by proxy who disputes the announcement by the chairman of the result of any vote may immediately following such announcement demand that a poll be taken and the chairman shall cause a poll to be taken. If a poll is taken at any meeting, the result shall be announced to the meeting and recorded in the minutes of the meeting. The minutes of the meeting shall be conclusive evidence of the fact that a resolution was carried or not without proof of the number or proportion of the votes recorded in favor of or against such resolution.

Directors

We may by ordinary resolution or by a resolution of the directors fix the maximum and minimum number of directors required to hold office at any time and vary such limits from time to time. Under the articles, we are required to have a minimum of one director.

A director may be appointed by ordinary resolution or by resolution of the directors. Any appointment may be to fill a vacancy or as an additional director.

The directors shall be entitled to such remuneration as the directors may determine.

The shareholding qualification for directors may be fixed by our shareholders in general meeting and unless and until so fixed no share qualification shall be required.

Each director holds office for the term, if any, fixed by the terms of his appointment or until his earlier death, bankruptcy, insanity, resignation or removal. If no term is fixed on the appointment of a director, the director serves indefinitely until his earlier death, bankruptcy, insanity, resignation or removal.

A director may be removed by an ordinary resolution.

Subject to the provisions of the articles, the office of a director shall be vacated if:

(a)

he gives notice in writing to the Company that he resigns the office of director;

(b)

he absents himself (without being represented by an alternate director appointed by him) from three consecutive meetings of the board of directors without special leave of absence from the directors, and they pass a resolution that he has by reason of such absence vacated office;

(c)

he dies, becomes bankrupt or makes any arrangement or composition with his creditors generally;

(d)

he is found to be or becomes of unsound mind; or


(e)

all the other directors (being not less than two in number) resolve that he should be removed as a director.

Each of the compensation committee and the nominating and corporate governance committee shall consist of at least three directors and the majority of the committee members shall be independent within the meaning of the Nasdaq corporate governance rules. The audit committee shall consist of at least three directors, all of whom shall be independent within the meaning of the Nasdaq corporate governance rules and will meet the criteria for independence set forth in Rule 10A-3 or Rule 10C-1 of the Exchange Act.

Powers of Directors

Subject to the provisions of the Cayman Islands Companies Act, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and any directions given by an ordinary resolution, our business and affairs shall be managed by, or under the direction or supervision of, the directors. The directors shall have all the powers necessary for managing, and for directing and supervising, the business and affairs of our company as are not by the Cayman Islands Companies Act, our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association or the terms of any special resolution required to be exercised by the shareholders. No alteration of the memorandum or the articles or any direction given by an ordinary resolution or a special resolution shall invalidate any prior act of the directors that was valid at the time undertaken. A duly convened meeting of directors at which a quorum is present may exercise all powers exercisable by the directors.

The directors may exercise all the powers of our company to incur indebtedness, liabilities or obligations and to issue debentures, debenture stock, mortgages, bonds and other such securities and to secure indebtedness, liabilities or obligations whether of our company or of any third party.

Each director shall exercise his powers for a proper purpose. Each director, in exercising his powers or performing his duties, shall act honestly and in good faith in what the director believes to be the best interests of us.

Capitalization

The directors may capitalize any sum standing to the credit of any of our reserve accounts (including share premium account and capital redemption reserve) or to the credit of profit and loss account or otherwise available for distribution and appropriate such sum to shareholders in the proportions in which such sum would have been divisible amongst them had the same been a distribution of profits by way of dividend and apply such sum on their behalf in paying up in full unissued shares for issue, allotment and distribution credited as fully paid-up to and amongst them in the proportions aforesaid. In such event the directors may make such provisions as they think fit in the case of shares becoming distributable in fractions.

Liquidation

If we shall be wound up, and the assets available for distribution amongst the shareholders shall be insufficient to repay the whole of the share capital, such assets shall be distributed so that, as nearly as may be, the losses shall be borne by the shareholders in proportion to the par value of the shares held by them. If in a winding up the assets available for distribution amongst the shareholders shall be more than sufficient to repay the whole of the share capital at the commencement of the winding up, the surplus shall be distributed amongst the shareholders in proportion to the par value of the shares held by them at the commencement of the winding up subject to a deduction from those shares in respect of which there are monies due, of all monies payable to us for unpaid calls or otherwise.

Register of Members

Under the Cayman Islands Companies Act, we must keep a register of members and there should be entered therein:

the names and addresses of the members, a statement of the shares held by each member, and such statement shall confirm (i) the amount paid or agreed to be considered as paid, on the shares of each shareholder, (ii) the number and category of shares held by each member, and (iii) whether each relevant category of shares held by a member carries voting rights under rights under the articles of association of the company, and if so, whether such voting rights are conditional;


the date on which the name of any person was entered on the register as a member; and

the date on which any person ceased to be a member.

Under the Cayman Islands Companies Act, the register of members of our company is prima facie evidence of the matters set out therein (that is, the register of members will raise a presumption of fact on the matters referred to above unless rebutted) and a shareholder registered in the register of members is deemed as a matter of the Cayman Islands Companies Act to have legal title to the shares as set against its name in the register of members. Upon the completion of this offering, the register of members will be immediately updated to record and give effect to the issuance of shares by us. Once our register of members has been updated, the shareholders recorded in the register of members will be deemed to have legal title to the shares set against their name. However, there are certain limited circumstances where an application may be made to a Cayman Islands court for a determination on whether the register of members reflects the correct legal position. Further, the Cayman Islands court has the power to order that the register of members maintained by a company should be rectified where it considers that the register of members does not reflect the correct legal position. If an application for an order for rectification of the register of members were made in respect of our ordinary shares, then the validity of such shares may be subject to re-examination by a Cayman Islands court.

Differences in Corporate Law

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

Mergers and Similar Arrangements

The Cayman Islands Companies Act permits mergers and consolidations between Cayman Islands companies and between Cayman Islands companies and non-Cayman Islands companies. For these purposes, (a) “merger” means the merging of two or more constituent companies and the vesting of their undertaking, property and liabilities in one of such companies as the surviving company, and (b) a “consolidation” means the combination of two or more constituent companies into a consolidated company and the vesting of the undertaking, property and liabilities of such companies to the consolidated company. In order to effect such a merger or consolidation, the directors of each constituent company must approve a written plan of merger or consolidation, which must then be authorized by (a) a special resolution of the shareholders of each constituent company, and (b) such other authorization, if any, as may be specified in such constituent company’s articles of association. The written plan of merger or consolidation must be filed with the Registrar of Companies of the Cayman Islands together with a declaration as to the solvency of the consolidated or surviving company, a list of the assets and liabilities of each constituent company and an undertaking that a copy of the certificate of merger or consolidation will be given to the members and creditors of each constituent company and that notification of the merger or consolidation will be published in the Cayman Islands Gazette. Court approval is not required for a merger or consolidation which is effected in compliance with these statutory procedures.

A merger between a Cayman Islands parent company and its Cayman Islands subsidiary or subsidiaries does not require authorization by a resolution of shareholders of that Cayman Islands 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 company is a “parent” of a subsidiary if it holds issued shares that together represent at least 90% of the votes at a general meeting of the subsidiary.

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.


Except in certain limited circumstances, a shareholder of a Cayman Islands constituent company who dissents from the merger or consolidation is entitled to payment of the fair value of his shares (which, if not agreed between the parties, will be determined by the Cayman Islands court) upon dissenting to the merger or consolidation; provided that the dissenting shareholder complies strictly with the procedures set out in the Cayman Islands Companies Act. The exercise of such dissenter rights will preclude the exercise by the dissenting shareholder of any other rights to which he or she might otherwise be entitled by virtue of holding shares, except for the right to seek relief on the grounds that the merger or consolidation is void or unlawful.

Separate from the statutory provisions relating to mergers and consolidations, the Companies Act also contains statutory provisions that facilitate the reconstruction and amalgamation of companies by way of schemes of arrangement, provided that the arrangement is approved by (i) 75% in value of the members or class of members or (ii) a majority in number representing 75% in value of the creditors or class of creditors, in each case depending on the circumstances, as are present at a meeting called for such 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:

(a)

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

(b)

the shareholders have been fairly represented at the meeting in question and the statutory majority are acting bona fide without coercion of the minority to promote interests adverse to those of the class;

(c)

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

(d)

the arrangement is not one that would more properly be sanctioned under some other provision of the Cayman Islands Companies Act.

The Cayman Islands Companies Act also contains a statutory power of compulsory acquisition which may facilitate the “squeeze out” of dissentient minority shareholders upon a tender offer. When a tender offer is made and accepted by holders of 90% of the shares affected within four months the offeror may, within a two-month period commencing on the expiration of such four-month period, require the holders of the remaining shares to transfer such shares to the offeror 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 that has been so approved unless there is evidence of fraud, bad faith or collusion.

If an arrangement and reconstruction by way of scheme of arrangement is thus approved and sanctioned, or if a tender offer is made and accepted in accordance with the foregoing statutory procedures, a 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

Shareholders’ Suits

In principle, we will normally be the proper plaintiff to sue for a wrong done to us as a company and as a general rule, a derivative action may not be brought by a minority shareholder. However, based on English law authorities, which would in all likelihood be of persuasive authority in the Cayman Islands, the Cayman Islands courts can be expected to follow and apply the common law principles (namely the rule in Foss v. Harbottle and the exceptions thereto) so that a non-controlling shareholder may be permitted to commence a class action against or derivative actions in the name of the company to challenge actions where:

(a)a company acts or proposes to act illegally or ultra vires;

(b)

the act complained of, although not ultra vires, could only be effected duly if authorized by more than a simple majority vote that has not been obtained; and

(c)those who control the company are perpetrating a “fraud on the minority.”


Indemnification of Directors and Executive Officers and Limitation of Liability

Cayman Islands law does not limit the extent to which a company’s memorandum and 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. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that every director, alternate director or officer shall be indemnified out of our assets against any liability incurred by him as a result of any act or failure to act in carrying out his functions other than such liability (if any) that he may incur by his own actual fraud or wilful default. No such director, alternate director or officer shall be liable to us for any loss or damage in carrying out his functions unless that liability arises through the actual fraud or wilful default of such director or officer. Expenses, including legal fees, incurred by a director, alternate director or officer, or former director, alternate director or officer in defending any legal, administrative or investigative proceedings may be paid by us in advance of the final disposition of such proceedings upon receipt of an undertaking by such party to repay the amount if it shall ultimately be determined that such director, alternate director or officer is not entitled to be indemnified by us and upon such terms and conditions, if any, as we deem appropriate.

This standard of conduct is generally the same as permitted under the Delaware General Corporation Law for a Delaware corporation. In addition, we intend to enter into indemnification agreements with our directors and executive officers that will provide such persons with additional indemnification beyond that provided in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association.

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to our directors, officers or persons controlling us under the foregoing provisions, we have been informed that, in the opinion of the SEC, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.

Anti-Takeover Provisions in Our Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association

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 Islands 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.

Directors’ Fiduciary Duties

Under Delaware corporate law, a director of a Delaware corporation has a fiduciary duty to the corporation and its shareholders. This duty has two components: the duty of care and the duty of loyalty. The duty of care requires that a director act in good faith, with the care that an ordinarily prudent person would exercise under similar circumstances. Under this duty, a director must inform himself of, and disclose to shareholders, all material information reasonably available regarding a significant transaction. The duty of loyalty requires that a director act in a manner he or she reasonably believes to be in the best interests of the corporation. He or she must not use his or her corporate position for personal gain or advantage. This duty prohibits self-dealing by a director and mandates that the best interests of the corporation and its shareholders take precedence over any interest possessed by a director, officer or controlling shareholder and not shared by the shareholders generally. In general, actions of a director are presumed to have been made on an informed basis, in good faith and in the honest belief that the action taken was in the best interests of the corporation. However, this presumption may be rebutted by evidence of a breach of one of the fiduciary duties. Should such evidence be presented concerning a transaction by a director, the director must prove the procedural fairness of the transaction, and that the transaction was of fair value to the corporation.

As a matter of Cayman Islands law, a director of a Cayman Islands company is in the position of a fiduciary with respect to the company and therefore it is considered that he owes the following duties to the company—a duty to act in good faith in the best interests of the company, a duty not to make a personal profit based on his position as director (unless the company permits him to do so), a duty not to put himself in a position where the interests of the company


conflict with his personal interest or his duty to a third party and a duty to exercise powers for the purpose for which such powers were intended. A director of a Cayman Islands company owes to the company a duty to act with skill and care. It was previously considered that a director need not exhibit in the performance of his duties a greater degree of skill than may reasonably be expected from a person of his knowledge and experience. However, English and Commonwealth courts have moved toward an objective standard with regard to the required skill and care and these authorities are likely to be followed in the Cayman Islands.

Shareholder Proposals

Under the Delaware General Corporation 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 governing documents. The Delaware General Corporation Law does not provide shareholders an express right to put any proposal before the annual meeting of shareholders, but in keeping with common law, Delaware corporations generally afford shareholders an opportunity to make proposals and nominations provided that they comply with the notice provisions in the certificate of incorporation or bylaws. A special meeting may be called by the board of directors or any other person authorized to do so in the governing documents, but shareholders may be precluded from calling special meetings.

The Cayman Islands Companies Act provides shareholders with only limited rights to requisition a general meeting and does not provide shareholders with any right to put any proposal before a general meeting. However, these rights may be provided in a company’s articles of association. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that, upon the written request of shareholders entitled to exercise 10% or more of the voting rights in respect of the matter for which the meeting is requisitioned, any one or more of the directors shall forthwith proceed to convene a meeting of shareholders. If the directors do not proceed to convene a meeting of shareholders within 21 days of the written request to requisition a meeting being lodged the requisitionists, or any of them together holding at least half of the voting rights of all of them, may convene the meeting of shareholders in the same manner as nearly as possible as that in which a meeting of shareholders may be convened by a director. As a Cayman Islands exempted company, we are not obligated by law to call shareholders’ annual general meetings.

Cumulative Voting

Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, cumulative voting for elections of directors is not permitted unless the corporation’s certificate of incorporation specifically provides for it. Cumulative voting potentially facilitates the representation of minority shareholders on a board of directors since it permits the minority shareholder to cast all the votes to which the shareholder is entitled on a single director, which increases the shareholder’s voting power with respect to electing such director. There are no prohibitions in relation to cumulative voting under the laws of the Cayman Islands, but our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association do not provide for cumulative voting. As a result, our shareholders are not afforded any less protections or rights on this issue than shareholders of a Delaware corporation.

Removal of Directors

Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, a director of a corporation with a classified board may be removed only for cause with the approval of a majority of the outstanding shares entitled to vote, unless the certificate of incorporation provides otherwise. Under our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (which include the removal of a director by ordinary resolution), the office of a director shall be vacated if (a) he gives notice in writing to us that he resigns the office of director, (b) he absents himself (without being represented by an alternate director appointed by him) from three consecutive meetings of the board of directors without special leave of absence from the directors, and they pass a resolution that he has by reason of such absence vacated office, (c) he dies, becomes bankrupt or makes any arrangement or composition with his creditors generally, (d) he is found to be or becomes of unsound mind, €(e) all the other directors (being not less than two in number) resolve that he should be removed as a director.

Transactions with Interested Shareholders

The Delaware General Corporation Law contains a business combination statute applicable to Delaware public corporations whereby, unless the corporation has specifically elected not to be governed by such statute by amendment


to its certificate of incorporation or bylaws that its shareholders approve, it is prohibited from engaging in certain business combinations with an “interested shareholder” for three years following the date that such person becomes an interested shareholder. An interested shareholder generally is a person or a group who or which owns or owned 15% or more of the target’s outstanding voting stock or who or which is an affiliate or associate of the corporation and owned 15% or more of the corporation’s outstanding voting stock within the past three years. This has the effect of limiting the ability of a potential acquirer to make a two-tiered bid for the target in which all shareholders would not be treated equally. The statute does not apply if, among other things, prior to the date on which such shareholder becomes an interested shareholder, the board of directors approves either the business combination or the transaction, resulting in the person becoming an interested shareholder. This encourages any potential acquirer of a Delaware corporation to negotiate the terms of any acquisition transaction with the target’s board of directors.

There is no comparable statute under Cayman Islands law. As a result, we cannot avail ourselves of the types of protections afforded by the Delaware business combination statute. However, although Cayman Islands law does not regulate transactions between a company and its significant shareholders, the directors of our company are required to comply with fiduciary duties which they owe to our company under Cayman Islands laws, including the duty to ensure that, in their opinion, any such transactions must be entered into bona fide in the best interests of the company and not with the effect of constituting a fraud on the minority shareholders.

Dissolution; Winding Up

Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, unless the board of directors approves the proposal to dissolve, dissolution must be approved by shareholders holding 100% of the total voting power of the corporation. Only if the dissolution is initiated by the board of directors may it be approved by a simple majority of the corporation’s outstanding shares. Delaware law allows a Delaware corporation to include in its certificate of incorporation a supermajority voting requirement in connection with dissolutions initiated by the board of directors.

Under Cayman Islands law, a company may be wound up by either an order of the courts of the Cayman Islands or by a special resolution of its members or, if the company is unable to pay its debts as they fall due, by an ordinary resolution of its members. The court has authority to order winding up in a number of specified circumstances including where it is, in the opinion of the court, just and equitable to do so.

Variation of Rights of Shares

Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, a corporation may vary the rights of a class of shares with the approval of a majority of the outstanding shares of such class, unless the certificate of incorporation provides otherwise. Under our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, if our share capital is divided into more than one class of shares, the rights attached to any class (unless otherwise provided by the terms of issue of the shares of that class) may be varied either with the consent in writing of the holders of not less than two-thirds of the issued shares of that class, or with the sanction of a special resolution passed at a separate general meeting of the holders of shares of that class.

Amendment of Governing Documents

Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, a corporation’s certificate of incorporation may be amended only if adopted and declared advisable by the board of directors and approved by a majority of the outstanding shares entitled to vote. The bylaws may be amended with the approval of a majority of the outstanding shares entitled to vote. If so provided in the certificate of incorporation, they may also be amended by the board of directors. Under the Cayman Islands Companies Act and our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, our memorandum and articles of association may only be amended by a special resolution of our shareholders.

Anti-money Laundering—Cayman Islands

In order to comply with legislation and regulations aimed at the prevention of money laundering and counter terrorist financing, we may be required to adopt and maintain anti-money laundering and counter terrorist financing policies and procedures, and may require subscribers to provide evidence to satisfactorily identify and verify their identity and source of funds. Such customer due diligence can be simplified or enhanced depending on the risk rating given to the


subscriber. Where permitted, and subject to certain conditions, we may also delegate the maintenance of our anti-money laundering and counter terrorist financing policies and procedures (including the acquisition of due diligence information) to a suitable third persons based in Cayman Islands approved equivalent jurisdictions. A list of these equivalent jurisdictions, as updated from time to time, can be accessed here: https://www.cima.ky/list-of-equivalent-jurisdictions.

We reserve the right to request such information as is necessary to identify and verify the identity of a subscriber. In the event of delay or failure on the part of the subscriber in producing any information and/or documentation required for identification or verification purposes, we may refuse to accept the application, in which case any funds received will be returned without interest to the account from which they were originally debited.

We also reserve the right to refuse to make any redemption payment to a shareholder if our directors or officers suspect or are advised that the payment of redemption proceeds to such shareholder might result in a breach of applicable anti-money laundering, counter terrorist financing or other applicable laws, regulations or guidance by any person in any equivalent jurisdiction, or if such refusal is considered necessary or appropriate to ensure our compliance with any such laws or regulations in any applicable jurisdiction.

If any person resident in the Cayman Islands knows or suspects or has reason for knowing or suspecting that another person is engaged in criminal conduct, money laundering or proliferation financing or is involved with terrorism or terrorist property and the information for that knowledge or suspicion came to their attention in the course of their business in the regulated sector, or other trade, profession, business or employment, the person will be required to report such knowledge or suspicion to (i) a nominated officer (appointed in accordance with the Proceeds of Crime Act (2020 Revision) of the Cayman Islands) or the Financial Reporting Authority of the Cayman Islands, pursuant to the Proceeds of Crime Act (2020 Revision), if the disclosure relates to criminal conduct or money laundering or (ii) to a police constable or a nominated officer (pursuant to the Terrorism Act (2018 Revision) of the Cayman Islands) or the Financial Reporting Authority, pursuant to the Terrorism Act (2018 Revision), if the disclosure relates to involvement with terrorism or terrorist financing and terrorist property. Such a report shall not be treated as a breach of confidence or of any restriction upon the disclosure of information imposed by any enactment or otherwise.