EX-4.2 2 ex42descriptionofcapital.htm EX-4.2 ex42descriptionofcapital
Exhibit 4.2 DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK The following description of the capital stock of Silvaco Group, Inc. (the “Company,” “we,” “us,” and “our”) and certain provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, as amended from time to time (the “amended and restated certificate of incorporation”) and amended and restated bylaws, as amended from time to time (the “amended and restated bylaws”) is a summary and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws and applicable provisions of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”). Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation authorizes capital stock consisting of:  500,000,000 shares of common stock, $0.0001 par value (28,526,615 shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2024); and  10,000,000 shares of preferred stock $0.0001 par value (no shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2024). Common Stock Voting Holders of shares of our common stock are entitled to one vote for each share held of record on all matters submitted to a vote of the stockholders, including the election of directors, and do not have cumulative voting rights. Accordingly, the holders of a majority of the shares of our common stock entitled to vote in any election of directors can elect all of the directors standing for election. Dividends Subject to statutory or contractual restrictions on the payment of dividends and to any preferences that may be applicable to any then outstanding preferred stock, the holders of common stock are entitled to receive dividends, if any, as may be declared from time to time by our board of directors out of legally available funds. Liquidation In the event of our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, holders of our common stock will be entitled to share ratably in the net assets legally available for distribution to stockholders after the payment of all of our debts and other liabilities, subject to the satisfaction of any liquidation preference granted to the holders of any outstanding shares of preferred stock. Rights and Preferences Holders of our common stock have no preemptive, conversion or subscription rights, and there are no redemption or sinking fund provisions applicable to our common stock. The rights, preferences and privileges of the holders of our common stock will be subject to, and may be adversely affected by, the rights of the holders of shares of any series of our preferred stock that we may designate and issue in the future.


 
Fully Paid and Nonassessable All of our outstanding shares of common stock are fully paid and nonassessable. Preferred Stock Under our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, our board of directors have the authority, without further action by the stockholders, to issue up to10,000,000 shares of preferred stock in one or more series, to establish from time to time the number of shares to be included in each such series, to fix the rights, preferences and privileges of the shares of each wholly unissued series and any qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereon, and to increase or decrease the number of shares of any such series, but not below the number of shares of such series then outstanding. Our board of directors may authorize the issuance of preferred stock with voting or conversion rights that could adversely affect the voting power or other rights of the holders of the common stock. The issuance of preferred stock, while providing flexibility in connection with possible acquisitions and other corporate purposes, could, among other things, have the effect of delaying, deferring, or preventing a change in our control that may otherwise benefit holders of our common stock and may adversely affect the market price of our common stock and the voting and other rights of the holders of common stock. We have no current plans to issue any shares of preferred stock. Registration Rights We entered into a registration rights agreement with certain of our stockholders in connection with our initial public offering pursuant to which such parties have certain demand rights, short-form registration rights and piggyback registration rights from us, subject to customary restrictions and exceptions. All fees, costs and expenses of registrations, other than underwriting discounts and commissions, are expected to be borne by us. Anti-Takeover Effects of Provisions of Our Certificate of Incorporation, Our Bylaws and Delaware Law Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws contain provisions that may delay, defer or discourage another party from acquiring control of us. We expect that these provisions, which are summarized below, will discourage coercive takeover practices or inadequate takeover bids. These provisions are also designed to encourage persons seeking to acquire control of us to first negotiate with our board of directors, which we believe may result in an improvement of the terms of any such acquisition in favor of our stockholders. However, they also give our board of directors the power to discourage acquisitions that some stockholders may favor. Delaware Anti-Takeover Law We are subject to Section 203 of the DGCL (“Section 203”). Section 203 generally prohibits a public Delaware corporation from engaging in a “business combination” with an “interested stockholder” for a period of three years after the date of the transaction in which the person became an interested stockholder, unless:


 
■ prior to the date of the transaction, the board of directors of the corporation approved either the business combination or the transaction which resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder; ■ the interested stockholder owned at least 85% of the voting stock of the corporation outstanding at the time the transaction commenced, excluding for purposes of determining the number of shares outstanding (but not the outstanding voting stock owned by the interested stockholder) shares owned by persons who are directors and also officers and by employee stock plans in which employee participants do not have the right to determine confidentially whether shares held subject to the plan will be tendered in a tender or exchange offer; or ■ upon or subsequent to the consummation of the transaction, the business combination is approved by the board and authorized at an annual or special meeting of stockholders, and not by written consent, by the affirmative vote of at least 66 2/3% of the outstanding voting stock which is not owned by the interested stockholder. Section 203 defines a business combination to include: ■ any merger or consolidation involving the corporation and the interested stockholder; ■ any sale, transfer, pledge or other disposition of 10% or more of the assets of the corporation to or with the interested stockholder; ■ subject to exceptions, any transaction involving the corporation that has the effect of increasing the proportionate share of the stock of any class or series of the corporation owned by the interested stockholder; ■ subject to exceptions, any transaction that results in the issuance or transfer by the corporation of any stock of the corporation to the interested stockholder; and ■ the receipt by the interested stockholder of the benefit of any loans, advances, guarantees, pledges or other financial benefits provided by or through the corporation. In general, Section 203 defines an interested stockholder as any entity or person beneficially owning 15% or more of the outstanding voting stock of the corporation and any entity or person affiliated with or controlling or controlled by the entity or person. Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Amended and Restated Bylaws Because our stockholders do not have cumulative voting rights, our stockholders holding a majority of the voting power of our shares of common stock outstanding will be able to elect all of our directors. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws provide that, after Ms. Kathy Pesic and certain of her family members (the “Pesci Family”) cease to beneficially own, in the aggregate, at least 50% of the voting power of the outstanding shares of our common


 
stock, all stockholder actions must be effected at a duly called meeting of stockholders and not by written consent. Further, for so long as the stockholders agreement with the Pesic Family remains in effect and the Pesic Family owns in the aggregate, at least 25% of the voting power of the then outstanding shares of our capital stock, the prior written approval or consent of the Pesic Family shall be required for us to (i) implement any amendments to our charter or bylaws that would adversely affect the Pesic Family’s rights thereunder, (ii) effect or consummate a change of control or approve another merger, consolidation, business combination, sale or acquisition that results in changes in the rights and privileges of holders of equity securities, and (iii) effect the liquidation or dissolution or winding up of our business operations. A special meeting of stockholders may be called by the majority of our board of directors, chair of our board of directors, our President, or our Chief Executive Officer. These provisions may have the effect of deferring, delaying or discouraging hostile takeovers, or changes in control of us or our management. In addition, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws provide that the number of directors constituting our board of directors will be permitted to be set only by a resolution adopted by a majority vote of the members of our board of directors then in office, and that our directors may be removed only for cause. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws also provide that vacancies occurring on our board of directors and newly created directorships resulting from an increase in the authorized number of directors may be filled only by vote of a majority of the remaining members of our board of directors, even though less than a quorum. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws provide that our board of directors is expressly authorized to adopt, amend or repeal our bylaws, and require a 66 2/3% stockholder vote to amend our bylaws and certain provisions of our certificate of incorporation. Our amended and restated bylaws provide advance notice procedures for stockholders seeking to bring business before our annual meeting of stockholders or to nominate candidates for election as directors at our annual meeting of stockholders. Our amended and restated bylaws also specify certain requirements regarding the form and content of a stockholder notice. These provisions might preclude our stockholders from bringing matters before our annual meeting of stockholders or from making nominations for directors at our annual meeting of stockholders if the proper procedures are not followed. We expect that these provisions may also discourage or deter a potential acquirer from conducting a solicitation of proxies to elect the acquirer’s own slate of directors or otherwise attempting to obtain control of us. The foregoing provisions will make it more difficult for our existing stockholders to replace our board of directors as well as for another party to obtain control of us by replacing our board of directors. Since our board of directors has the power to retain and discharge our officers, these provisions could also make it more difficult for existing stockholders or another party to effect a change in management. In addition, the authorization of undesignated preferred stock makes it possible for our board of directors to issue preferred stock with voting or other rights or preferences that could impede the success of any attempt to change our control.


 
These provisions are intended to enhance the likelihood of continued stability in the composition of our board of directors and its policies and to discourage certain types of transactions that may involve an actual or threatened acquisition of us. These provisions are also designed to reduce our vulnerability to an unsolicited acquisition proposal and to discourage certain tactics that may be used in proxy fights. However, such provisions could have the effect of discouraging others from making tender offers for our shares and may have the effect of deterring hostile takeovers or delaying changes in our control or management. As a consequence, these provisions also may inhibit fluctuations in the market price of our stock that could result from actual or rumored takeover attempts. Choice of Forum Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws provide that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware (or, if that court lacks subject matter jurisdiction, another federal or state court situated in the State of Delaware) are the exclusive forum for any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf; any action asserting a breach of fiduciary duty; any action asserting a claim against us arising pursuant to the DGCL, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, or our bylaws, or any issue, in one or more series, of all or any of the remaining shares of preferred stock, and, in the resolution or resolutions providing for such issue; any action to interpret, apply, enforce, or determine the validity of our certificate of incorporation or our bylaws; or any action asserting a claim against us that is governed by the internal affairs doctrine. If any such action is filed in a court other than a court located within the State of Delaware (a “Foreign Action”) in the name of any stockholder, that stockholder shall be deemed to have consented to: (x) the personal jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located within the State of Delaware in connection with any action brought in any such court to enforce our choice of forum, or an Enforcement Action, and (y) having service of process made upon such stockholder in any such Enforcement Action by service upon such stockholder’s counsel in the Foreign Action as agent for such stockholder, in each case, to the fullest extent permitted by law. In addition, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws provide that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the federal district courts of the United States of America are the exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act. Such provision is intended to benefit and may be enforced by us, our officers and directors, employees and agents, including the underwriters and any other professional or entity who has prepared or certified any part of this prospectus. Although our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws contain the choice of forum provisions described above, it is possible that a court could find one or more of these provisions inapplicable for a particular claim or action or that such provision is unenforceable. Further, Section 27 of the Exchange Act creates exclusive federal jurisdiction over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or the rules and regulations thereunder. As a result, the exclusive forum provision will not apply to suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction.


 
Nothing in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or amended and restated bylaws preclude stockholders that assert claims under the Exchange Act from bringing such claims in state or federal court, subject to applicable law. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in any of our securities will be deemed to have notice of and consented to the provisions of amended and restated certificate of incorporation or amended and restated bylaws described above. Although we believe these provisions benefit us by providing increased consistency in the application of Delaware law for the specified types of actions and proceedings, the provisions may have the effect of discouraging lawsuits against us or our directors and officers. The enforceability of similar choice of forum provisions in other companies’ certificates of incorporation has been challenged in legal proceedings, and it is possible that a court could find these types of provisions to be inapplicable or unenforceable. Listing Our common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market and trades under the symbol “SVCO.” Transfer Agent and Registrar The transfer agent and registrar for our common stock is Equiniti Trust Company, LLC (f/k/a American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC).