Document

Exhibit 4.50



DESCRIPTION OF THE REGISTRANT’S SECURITIES 
REGISTERED PURSUANT TO SECTION 12 OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
As of December 31, 2020, Amyris, Inc. (the “Company,” or “us”) had one class of securities registered under Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended: our common stock.


The following is a description of our capital stock, as well as certain provisions of our certificate of incorporation, bylaws and Delaware law. This is only a summary and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the description of our common stock included in our certificate of incorporation and our bylaws, each of which are incorporated by reference as an exhibit to the Annual Report on Form 10-K of which this exhibit is a part, and by the relevant provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law, or the DGCL. 


Our authorized capital stock consists of 350,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, and 5,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share.


Common Stock


Dividend Rights


Subject to preferences that may apply to shares of preferred stock outstanding from time to time, the holders of outstanding shares of our common stock are entitled to receive dividends out of funds legally available if our Board of Directors, in its discretion, determines to issue dividends, and only then at the times and in the amounts that our Board of Directors may determine.
Voting Rights
Each holder of our common stock is entitled to one vote for each share of common stock held on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders. Our restated certificate of incorporation, as amended, eliminates the right of stockholders to cumulate votes for the election of directors and establishes a classified Board of Directors, divided into three classes with staggered three-year terms. Only one class of directors is elected at each annual meeting of our stockholders, with the other classes continuing in office for the remainder of their respective three-year terms.
No Preemptive or Similar Rights
Our common stock is not entitled to preemptive rights and is not subject to conversion, redemption or sinking fund provisions.
Right to Receive Liquidation Distributions
Upon our dissolution, liquidation or winding-up, the assets legally available for distribution to our stockholders are distributable ratably among the holders of our common stock, subject to prior satisfaction of all outstanding debt and liabilities and the preferential rights and payment of liquidation preferences, if any, on any outstanding shares of preferred stock.
Registration Rights
Certain of our stockholders, including certain entities affiliated with our directors and/or holders of five percent or more of our outstanding common stock, including DSM, Foris, and Vivo, hold registration rights pursuant to (i) the letter agreement, dated July 29, 2015, by and among us and certain investors, (ii) the Securities Purchase Agreement, dated May 8, 2017, by and among us and certain investors, (iii) the Securities Purchase Agreement, dated August 2, 2017, by and between us and DSM International B.V., (iv) the Stockholder Agreement, dated August 3, 2017, by and between us and affiliates of Vivo Capital LLC, (v) the Amended and Restated Stockholder Agreement, dated August 7, 2017, by and between us and DSM International B.V., (vi) the Securities Purchase Agreements, dated January 31, 2020, by and between us and the investor named therein, including Foris and FMR, LLC, (vii) the 








Security Purchase Agreements, dated June 1, 2020 and June 4, 2020, by and between us and the investors named therein, including affiliates of Foris, Vivo, and FMR, LLC, and (viii) the Exchange and Settlement Agreement, dated March 1, 2021 by and between us and Schottenfeld Opportunities Fund II, L.P., Phase Five Partners, LP and Koyote Trading, LLC.
Stock Exchange Listing
Our common stock is listed on The Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “AMRS.”
Anti-Takeover Provisions
The provisions of Delaware law, our restated certificate of incorporation, as amended, and our restated bylaws may have the effect of delaying, deferring or discouraging another person from acquiring control of our company.
Delaware Law
Section 203 of the DGCL (“Section 203”) prevents some Delaware corporations from engaging, under some circumstances, in a business combination, which includes a merger or sale of at least 10% of the corporation’s assets, with any interested stockholder, meaning a stockholder who, together with affiliates and associates, owns or, within three years prior to the determination of interested stockholder status, did own 15% or more of the corporation’s outstanding voting stock, unless:
 
•the transaction is approved by the Board of Directors prior to the time that the interested stockholder became an interested stockholder;


•upon consummation of the transaction which resulted in the stockholder’s 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; or


•at or subsequent to such time that the stockholder became an interested stockholder, the business combination is approved by the Board of Directors and authorized at an annual or special meeting of stockholders by at least two-thirds of the outstanding voting stock which is not owned by the interested stockholder.
If Section 203 applied to us, these restrictions could prohibit or delay mergers or other takeover or change in control attempts and, accordingly, could discourage attempts to acquire us.
A Delaware corporation may “opt out” of the restrictions on business combinations contained in Section 203 with an express provision in its original certificate of incorporation or an express provision in its certificate of incorporation or bylaws resulting from a stockholders’ amendment approved by at least a majority of its outstanding voting shares. We have agreed to opt out of Section 203 through our restated certificate of incorporation, as amended, but our restated certificate of incorporation as amended, contains substantially similar protections to our company and stockholders as those afforded under Section 203, except that we have agreed with Total that it will not be deemed to be “interested stockholders” for purposes of such protections.
Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Restated Bylaw Provisions


Our restated certificate of incorporation, as amended, and our restated bylaws include a number of provisions that may have the effect of deterring hostile takeovers or delaying or preventing changes in control of our company or management team, including the following:
 
•Board of Directors Vacancies. Our restated certificate of incorporation, as amended, and restated bylaws authorize only our Board of Directors to fill vacant directorships. In addition, the number of directors constituting our Board of Directors will be set only by resolution adopted by a majority vote of our entire Board 








of Directors. These provisions prevent stockholders from increasing the size of our Board of Directors and gaining control of our Board of Directors by filling the resulting vacancies with their own nominees.


•Classified Board. Our restated certificate of incorporation, as amended, and restated bylaws provide that our Board of Directors is classified into three classes of directors. The existence of a classified board could delay a successful tender offeror from obtaining majority control of our Board of Directors, and the prospect of that delay might deter a potential offeror. Pursuant to Delaware law, the directors of a corporation having a classified board may be removed by the stockholders only for cause. In addition, stockholders will not be permitted to cumulate their votes for the election of directors.


•Stockholder Action; Special Meeting of Stockholders. Our restated certificate of incorporation, as amended, provides that our stockholders may not take action by written consent, but may only take action at annual or special meetings of our stockholders. Our restated bylaws further provide that special meetings of our stockholders may be called only by a majority of our Board of Directors, the chair of our Board of Directors, our chief executive officer or our president.


•Advance Notice Requirements for Stockholder Proposals and Director Nominations. Our restated bylaws provide for 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 restated bylaws also specify certain requirements regarding the form and content of a stockholder’s notice. These provisions may preclude our stockholders from bringing matters before our annual meeting of stockholders or from making nominations for directors at our annual meeting of stockholders.


•Issuance of Undesignated Preferred Stock. Under our restated certificate of incorporation, as amended, our Board of Directors has the authority, without further action by the stockholders, to issue shares of undesignated preferred stock with rights and preferences, including voting rights, designated from time to time by the Board of Directors. The existence of authorized but unissued shares of preferred stock enables our Board of Directors to render more difficult or to discourage an attempt to obtain control of us by means of a merger, tender offer, proxy contest or otherwise.


•Exclusive Forum. Our restated bylaws to provide that, to the fullest extent permitted by law, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware will be 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 certificate of incorporation, or our restated bylaws; or any action asserting a claim against us that is governed by the internal affairs doctrine. Our restated bylaws further provide that the U.S. federal district courts will, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be the exclusive forum for resolving any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act, or a Federal Forum Provision. Our decision to adopt a Federal Forum Provision followed a decision by the Supreme Court of the State of Delaware holding that such provisions are facially valid under Delaware law. While there can be no assurance that federal or state courts will follow the holding of the Delaware Supreme Court or determine that the Federal Forum Provision should be enforced in a particular case, application of the Federal Forum Provision means that suits brought by our stockholders to enforce any duty or liability created by the Securities Act must be brought in federal court and cannot be brought in state court.