Document

Exhibit 4.5

DESCRIPTION OF REGISTRANT’S SECURITIES


The following description of the capital stock of Transphorm, Inc. (“us,” “our,” “we” or the “Company”) is based upon the Company’s amended and restated certificate of incorporation, the Company’s amended and restated bylaws, and applicable provisions of law.  The following description summarizes the most important terms of the Company’s capital stock. For a complete description of the matters set forth in this exhibit, please refer to the amended and restated certificate of incorporation and the amended and restated bylaws, each previously filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and incorporated by reference as an exhibit to the Annual Report on Form 10-K of which this exhibit is a part, and to the applicable provisions of Delaware law.


Authorized Capital Stock


Our authorized capital stock consists of 755,000,000 shares, with a par value of $0.0001 per share, of which: 


•750,000,000 shares are designated as common stock; and 


•5,000,000 shares are designated as preferred stock.


Our common stock is registered pursuant to Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”).


Common Stock


Voting Rights


Each holder of common stock is entitled to one vote for each share on all matters submitted to a vote of the stockholders, including the election of directors. Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws do not provide for cumulative voting rights. Because of this, the holders of a plurality of the shares of common stock entitled to vote in any election of directors can elect all of the directors standing for election, if they should so choose. With respect to matters other than the election of directors, at any meeting of the stockholders at which a quorum is present or represented, the affirmative vote of a majority of the voting power of the shares present in person or represented by proxy at such meeting and entitled to vote on the subject matter shall be the act of the stockholders, except as otherwise required by law. The holders of a majority of the stock issued and outstanding and entitled to vote, present in person or represented by proxy, shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at all meetings of the stockholders.


Dividends


Subject to preferences that may be applicable to any then-outstanding convertible preferred stock, holders of our 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 and the satisfaction of any liquidation preference granted to the holders of any then-outstanding shares of convertible preferred stock.


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.


Fully Paid and Non-Assessable





Exhibit 4.5



All issued and outstanding shares of our common stock are fully paid and nonassessable.


Preferred Stock


Our board of directors has the authority, without further action by the stockholders, to issue up to 5,000,000 shares of preferred stock in one or more series and to fix the rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions thereof. These rights, preferences, and privileges could include dividend rights, conversion rights, voting rights, redemption rights, liquidation preferences, sinking fund terms, and the number of shares constituting any series or the designation of such series, any or all of which may be greater than the rights of common stock. The issuance of preferred stock could adversely affect the voting power of holders of common stock and the likelihood that such holders will receive dividend payments and payments upon liquidation. In addition, the issuance of preferred stock could have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing change in our control or other corporate action.


Anti-Takeover Effects of Certain Provisions of Delaware Law, Our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Our Amended and Restated Bylaws


Certain provisions of Delaware law and certain provisions included in our certificate of incorporation and bylaws summarized below may be deemed to have an anti-takeover effect and may delay, deter, or prevent a tender offer or takeover attempt that a stockholder might consider to be in its best interests, including attempts that might result in a premium being paid over the market price for the shares held by stockholders.


Preferred Stock


Our certificate of incorporation contains provisions that permit our board of directors to issue, without any further vote or action by the stockholders, shares of preferred stock in one or more series and, with respect to each such series, to fix the number of shares constituting the series and the designation of the series, the voting rights (if any) of the shares of the series and the powers, preferences, or relative, participation, optional, and other special rights, if any, and any qualifications, limitations, or restrictions, of the shares of such series.


Classified Board


Our certificate of incorporation provides that our board of directors shall be divided into three classes of directors, with the classes as nearly equal in number as practicable, and with the directors serving three-year terms. As a result, approximately one-third of our board of directors will be elected each year. The classification of directors has the effect of making it more difficult for shareholders to change the composition of our board of directors. Our certificate of incorporation also provides that, subject to any rights of holders of preferred stock to elect additional directors under specified circumstances, the number of directors is, and will continue to be, fixed exclusively pursuant to a resolution adopted by our board of directors.


Removal of Directors


Our certificate of incorporation provides that stockholders may only remove a director for cause by a vote of no less than a majority of the shares present in person or by proxy at the meeting and entitled to vote.


Director Vacancies


Our certificate of incorporation authorizes only our board of directors to fill vacant directorships.


No Cumulative Voting


Our certificate of incorporation provides that stockholders do not have the right to cumulate votes in the election of directors.


Special Meetings of Stockholders







Exhibit 4.5

Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws provide that, except as otherwise required by law, special meetings of the stockholders may be called only by the chairperson of our board of directors, the chief executive officer, the president (in the absence of a chief executive officer), or our board of directors acting pursuant to a resolution adopted by board members constituting a majority of the total number of authorized directorships.


Advance Notice Procedures for Director Nominations


Our bylaws provide that stockholders seeking to nominate candidates for election as directors at an annual or special meeting of stockholders must provide timely notice thereof in writing. To be timely, a stockholder’s notice generally will have to be delivered to and received at our principal executive offices before notice of the meeting is issued by the secretary of the Company, with such notice being served not less than 90 nor more than 120 days before the meeting. Although the bylaws do not give the board of directors the power to approve or disapprove stockholder nominations of candidates to be elected at an annual meeting, the bylaws may have the effect of precluding the conduct of certain business at a meeting if the proper procedures are not followed or may discourage or deter a potential acquirer from conducting a solicitation of proxies to elect its own slate of directors or otherwise attempting to obtain control of the Company.


Action by Written Consent


Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws provide that from and after the date that KKR Phorm Investors L.P. (“Phorm”) beneficially owns less than a majority of our outstanding shares of common stock, any action to be taken by the stockholders must be effected at a duly called annual or special meeting of stockholders and may not be effected by written consent. Until such time, any action to be taken by the shareholders may be effected by written consent.


Amending our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws


Our certificate of incorporation provides that, from and after the date that Phorm beneficially owns less than a majority of our outstanding shares of common stock, the affirmative vote of at least 66 2/3% of the votes entitled to be cast by holders of all outstanding shares then entitled to vote, voting together as a single class, is required to amend certain provisions of our certificate of incorporation.


From and after the date that Phorm beneficially owns less than a majority of our outstanding shares of common stock, our bylaws may be adopted, amended, altered or repealed by stockholders only upon approval of at least 66 2/3% of the votes entitled to be cast by holders of all outstanding shares then entitled to vote, voting together as a single class. Additionally, our certificate of incorporation provides that our bylaws may be amended, altered or repealed by the board of directors.


Authorized but Unissued Shares


Our authorized but unissued shares of common stock and preferred stock will be available for future issuances without stockholder approval, except as required by the listing standards of any exchange upon which our common stock may become listed, and could be utilized for a variety of corporate purposes, including future offerings to raise additional capital, acquisitions and employee benefit plans. The existence of authorized but unissued and unreserved common stock and preferred stock could render more difficult or discourage an attempt to obtain control of the Company by means of a proxy contest, tender offer, merger, or otherwise.


Exclusive Jurisdiction


Our bylaws provide that, unless we consent to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware, or if the Court of Chancery does not have jurisdiction, the federal district court for the District of Delaware, is the exclusive forum for (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of us, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any director, stockholder, officer, or other employee to us or our stockholders, (iii) any action arising pursuant to any provision of the Delaware General Corporation Law (the “DGCL”) or our certificate of incorporation or bylaws (as either may be amended from time to time), or (iv) any action asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine, except, in each case, (A) any 





Exhibit 4.5

claim as to which such court determines that there is an indispensable party not subject to the jurisdiction of such court (and the indispensable party does not consent to the personal jurisdiction of such court within 10 days following such determination), (B) which is vested in the exclusive jurisdiction of a court or forum other than such court, or (C) for which such court does not have subject matter jurisdiction. Our bylaws also provide that unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, that the federal district courts of the United States of America shall be the exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act. 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 actions arising under the Exchange Act or the rules and regulations thereunder. Although our bylaws contain the exclusive forum provisions described above, it is possible that a court could find that such provisions are inapplicable for a particular claim or action or that either such provision is unenforceable, and our stockholders will not be deemed to have waived our compliance with the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder.


Business Combinations with Interested Stockholders


We have opted out of Section 203 of the DGCL. However, our certificate of incorporation contains similar provisions providing that we may not engage in certain “business combinations” with any “interested stockholder” for a three-year period following the time that the stockholder became an interested stockholder, unless:


•prior to this time, our board of directors approved either the business combination or the transaction that resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder;


•upon consummation of the transaction that resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder, the interested stockholder owned at least 85% of our voting stock outstanding at the time the transaction commenced, excluding certain shares; or


•at or subsequent to such time, the business combination is approved by our board of directors and authorized at an annual or special meeting of stockholders, and by the affirmative vote of holders of at least 66 and 2/3% of the outstanding voting stock that is not owned by the interested stockholder.


Generally, a “business combination” includes a merger, asset, or stock sale or other transaction resulting in a financial benefit to the interested stockholder. Subject to certain exceptions (including a provision that provides that Phorm and certain of its affiliates and any of their direct or indirect transferees and any group as to which such persons are a party shall not be deemed to be “interested stockholders”), an “interested stockholder” is a person who, together with that person’s affiliates and associates, owns, or within the previous three years owned, 15% or more of our outstanding voting stock. For purposes of this section only, “voting stock” has the meaning given to it in Section 203 of the DGCL.


The provisions of our certificate of incorporation and bylaws could have the effect of discouraging others from attempting hostile takeovers and, as a consequence, they may also inhibit temporary fluctuations in the market price of our common stock that often result from actual or rumored hostile takeover attempts. For example, under certain circumstances, our charter provisions regarding certain “business combinations” will make it more difficult for a person who would be an “interested stockholder” to effect various business combinations with the Company for a three-year period. This provision may encourage companies interested in acquiring us to negotiate in advance with our board of directors because the stockholder approval requirement would be avoided if our board of directors approves either the business combination or the transaction which results in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder. These provisions may also have the effect of preventing changes in management or in our board of directors. It is possible that these provisions may make it more difficult to accomplish transactions that stockholders may otherwise deem to be in their best interests.