Company: WRBY
Filing Date: 2025-02-27
Form Type: 10-K
Source: 0001504776-25-000010
Chunk: 96

Company: Warby Parker Inc.
Filing Date: 2025-02-27
Form: 10-K
Item: Item 1
Chunk 96
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 stockholders.

While directors of traditional corporations are required to make decisions they believe to be in the best interests of their stockholders, directors of a public benefit corporation have a fiduciary duty to consider not only the stockholders’ pecuniary interests, but also the company’s specific public benefit and the best interests of stakeholders materially affected by the company’s actions. Under Delaware law, directors are shielded from liability for breach of these obligations if they make informed and disinterested decisions that are not such that no person of ordinary, sound judgment would approve. Thus, unlike traditional corporations which must focus exclusively on stockholder value, our directors are not merely permitted, but obligated, to consider our specific public benefits and the interests of other stakeholders. See Item 1, “Business—Public Benefit Corporation Status.” In the event of a conflict between the interests of our stockholders and the interests of our specific public benefits or our other stakeholders, our directors must only make informed and disinterested decisions that are not such that no person of ordinary, sound judgment would approve; thus, there is no guarantee such a conflict would be resolved in favor of our stockholders, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations, which in turn could cause our stock price to decline.

As a public benefit corporation, we may be subject to increased derivative litigation concerning our duty to balance stockholder and public benefit interests, the occurrence of which may have an adverse impact on our financial condition and results of operations.

Stockholders of a Delaware public benefit corporation (if they, individually or collectively, own the lesser of 2% of its outstanding capital stock or shares of at least $2 million in market value) are entitled to file a derivative lawsuit claiming that its directors failed to balance stockholder and public benefit interests. This potential liability does not exist for traditional corporations. Therefore, we may be subject to the possibility of increased derivative litigation, which would require the attention of management and, as a result, may adversely impact management’s ability to effectively execute our strategy. Any such derivative litigation may be costly and have an adverse impact on our business operations, financial conditions, and results of operations.

47

Risks Related to Ownership of Our Class A Common Stock

The trading price of our Class A common stock has been volatile and could decline significantly and rapidly. 

The trading price of our Class A common stock has been volatile and has fluctuated significantly since our direct listing and may continue to fluctuate or decline in response to numerous factors, many of which