Document

Exhibit 4.1
NEW SENIOR INVESTMENT GROUP INC.
DESCRIPTION OF COMMON STOCK


The following summary of our common stock is based on and qualified by our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (the “certificate of incorporation”), the Certificate of Designation (the “certificate of designation”) for our Series A Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock (the “Series A Preferred Stock”), our Amended and Restated Bylaws (the “bylaws”) and applicable provisions of Delaware law. This summary is not complete. For a complete description of the terms and provisions of our common stock refer to the certificate of incorporation, bylaws and certificate of designation, all of which are filed as exhibits to this Annual Report on Form 10-K.


Our authorized capital stock consists of 2,000,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, and 100,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share. As of December 31, 2019, 82,964,438 shares of our common stock were issued and outstanding and 400,000 shares of Series A Preferred Stock were issued and outstanding. All the outstanding shares of our common and preferred stock are fully paid and non-assessable.


Each holder of common stock is entitled to one vote for each share of common stock held on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders. Except as provided with respect to any other class or series of stock, the holders of our common stock will possess the exclusive right to vote for the election of directors and for all other purposes. Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws do not provide for cumulative voting in the election of directors, which means that the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock can elect all of the directors standing for election, and the holders of the remaining shares will not be able to elect any directors.




Subject to any preference rights of holders the Series A Preferred Stock or any other preferred stock that we may issue in the future, holders of our common stock are entitled to receive dividends, if any, declared from time to time by our board of directors out of legally available funds. In the event of our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, the holders of our common stock are entitled to share ratably in all assets remaining after the payment of liabilities, subject to the rights of the holders of the Series A Preferred Stock and any other of our preferred stock, if applicable, prior to distribution.


Holders of our common stock have no preemptive, subscription, redemption or conversion rights. Any shares of common stock issued pursuant to this prospectus will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.


Restrictions on Ownership and Transfer of Capital Stock


In order to qualify as a REIT under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), for each taxable year beginning after December 31, 2014, our shares of capital stock must be beneficially owned by 100 or more persons during at least 335 days of a taxable year of 12 months or during a proportionate part of a shorter taxable year. Also, for our taxable years beginning after December 31, 2014, no more than 50% of the value of our outstanding shares of capital stock may be owned, directly or constructively, by five or fewer individuals (as defined in the Code to include certain entities) during the second half of any calendar year.


Our certificate of incorporation, subject to certain exceptions, contains restrictions on the number of shares of our capital stock that a person may own and may prohibit certain entities from owning our 








shares. Our certificate of incorporation provides that (subject to certain exceptions described below) no person may beneficially or constructively own, or be deemed to own by virtue of the attribution provisions of the Code, more than 9.8% in value or in number of shares, whichever is more restrictive, of our outstanding shares of common or capital stock. Pursuant to our certificate of incorporation, our board of directors has the power to increase or decrease the percentage of common or capital stock that a person may beneficially or constructively own. However, any decreased stock ownership limit will not apply to any person whose percentage ownership of our common or capital stock, as the case may be, is in excess of such decreased stock ownership limit until that person’s percentage ownership of our common or capital stock, as the case may be, equals or falls below the decreased stock ownership limit. Until such a person’s percentage ownership of our common or capital stock, as the case may be, falls below such decreased stock ownership limit, any further acquisition of common or capital stock will be in violation of the decreased stock ownership limit.


Our certificate of incorporation also prohibits any person from beneficially or constructively owning shares of our capital stock that would result in our being “closely held” under Section 856(h) of the Code or otherwise cause us to fail to qualify as a REIT (including through ownership that results in our owning (actually or constructively) an interest in a tenant as described in Section 856(d)(2)(B) of the Code) and from transferring shares of our capital stock if the transfer would result in our capital stock being beneficially owned by fewer than 100 persons. Any person who acquires or attempts or intends to acquire beneficial or constructive ownership of shares of our capital stock that will or may violate any of the foregoing restrictions on transferability and ownership, or who is the intended transferee of shares of our capital stock that are transferred to the trust (as described below), is required to give written notice immediately to us and provide us with such other information as we may request in order to determine the effect of such transfer on our qualification as a REIT. The foregoing restrictions on transferability and ownership will not apply if our board of directors determines that it is no longer in our best interests to attempt to qualify, or to continue to qualify, as a REIT.


Our board of directors, in its sole discretion, may exempt a person from the foregoing restrictions. The person seeking an exemption must provide to our board of directors such conditions, representations and undertakings as our board of directors may deem reasonably necessary to conclude that granting the exemption will not cause us to lose our qualification as a REIT. Our board of directors may also require a ruling from the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) or an opinion of counsel in order to determine or ensure our qualification as a REIT in the context of granting such exemptions.


Any attempted transfer of our capital stock which, if effective, would result in a violation of the foregoing restrictions will cause the number of shares causing the violation (rounded up to the nearest whole share) to be automatically transferred to a trust for the exclusive benefit of one or more charitable beneficiaries, and the proposed transferee will not acquire any rights in such shares. The automatic transfer will be deemed to be effective as of the close of business on the business day (as defined in our certificate of incorporation) prior to the date of the transfer. If, for any reason, the transfer to the trust does not occur or would not prevent a violation of the restrictions on ownership contained in our certificate of incorporation, our certificate of incorporation provides that the purported transfer will be void ab initio. Shares of our capital stock held in the trust will be issued and outstanding shares. The proposed transferee will not benefit economically from ownership of any shares of our capital stock held in the trust, will have no rights to dividends and no rights to vote or other rights attributable to the shares of capital stock held in the trust. The trustee of the trust will have all voting rights and rights to dividends or other distributions with respect to shares held in the trust. These rights will be exercised for the exclusive benefit of the charitable beneficiary. Any dividend or other distribution paid prior to our discovery that shares of capital stock have been transferred to the trust will be paid by the recipient to the trustee upon demand. Any dividend or other distribution authorized but unpaid will be paid when due to the trustee. Any dividend or distribution paid to the trustee will be held in trust for the charitable beneficiary. Subject to Delaware law, 
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the trustee will have the authority to rescind as void any vote cast by the proposed transferee prior to our discovery that the shares have been transferred to the trust and to recast the vote in accordance with the desires of the trustee acting for the benefit of the charitable beneficiary. However, if we have already taken irreversible corporate action, then the trustee will not have the authority to rescind and recast the vote.


Within 20 days of receiving notice from us that shares of our capital stock have been transferred to the trust, the trustee will sell the shares to a person designated by the trustee, whose ownership of the shares will not violate the above ownership limitations. Upon such sale, the interest of the charitable beneficiary in the shares sold will terminate and the trustee will distribute the net proceeds of the sale to the proposed transferee and to the charitable beneficiary as follows: the proposed transferee will receive the lesser of (1) the price paid by the proposed transferee for the shares or, if the proposed transferee did not give value for the shares in connection with the event causing the shares to be held in the trust (e.g., a gift, devise or other similar transaction), the market price (as defined in our certificate of incorporation) of the shares on the day of the event causing the shares to be held in the trust and (2) the price received by the trustee from the sale or other disposition of the shares. The trust may reduce the amount payable to the proposed transferee by the amount of dividends and distributions paid to the proposed transferee and owed by the proposed transferee to the trust.


Any net sale proceeds in excess of the amount payable to the proposed transferee will be paid immediately to the charitable beneficiary. If, prior to our discovery that shares of our capital stock have been transferred to the trust, the shares are sold by the proposed transferee, then (1) the shares shall be deemed to have been sold on behalf of the trust and (2) to the extent that the proposed transferee received an amount for the shares that exceeds the amount the proposed transferee was entitled to receive, the excess shall be paid to the trustee upon demand.


In addition, shares of our capital stock held in the trust will be deemed to have been offered for sale to us, or our designee, at a price per share equal to the lesser of the price per share in the transaction that resulted in the transfer to the trust (or, in the case of a devise or gift, the market price at the time of the devise or gift) and the market price on the date we, or our designee, accept the offer. We will have the right to accept the offer until the trustee has sold the shares. Upon a sale to us, the interest of the charitable beneficiary in the shares sold will terminate and the trustee will distribute the net proceeds of the sale to the proposed transferee.


Every owner of 5% or more (or such lower percentage as required by the Code or the regulations promulgated thereunder) in number or in value of all classes or series of our capital stock, including shares of our common stock, within 30 days after the end of each taxable year, will be required to give written notice to us stating the name and address of such owner, the number of shares of each class and series of shares of our capital stock that the owner beneficially owns and a description of the manner in which the shares are held. Each owner shall provide to us such additional information as we may request to determine the effect, if any, of the beneficial ownership on our qualification as a REIT and to ensure compliance with the ownership limitations. In addition, each such owner shall, upon demand, be required to provide to us such information as we may request, in good faith, to determine our qualification as a REIT and to comply with the requirements of any taxing authority or governmental authority or to determine such compliance and to ensure compliance with the 9.8% ownership limitations in our certificate of incorporation.


These ownership limitations could delay, defer or prevent a transaction or a change in control that might involve a premium price for our common stock or might otherwise be in the best interests of our stockholders.
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Anti-Takeover Effects of Delaware Law and Our Certificate of Incorporation, Certificate of Designation and Bylaws


The following is a summary of certain provisions of our certificate of incorporation and bylaws that 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 interest, including those attempts that might result in a premium over the market price for the shares held by stockholders.


Authorized but Unissued Shares


The authorized but unissued shares of our common stock will be available for future issuance without obtaining stockholder approval and the authorized but unissued shares of our preferred stock are available for future issuance with the approval of the holders of Series A Preferred Stock. These additional shares may be utilized for a variety of corporate purposes, including future public offerings to raise additional capital, corporate acquisitions, and employee benefit plans. The existence of authorized but unissued shares of our common stock and preferred stock could render more difficult or discourage an attempt to obtain control over us by means of a proxy contest, tender offer, merger or otherwise.


Delaware Business Combination Statute


We are organized under Delaware law. Some provisions of Delaware law may delay or prevent a transaction that would cause a change in our control. Our certificate of incorporation provides that Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (the “DGCL”), as amended, an anti-takeover law, will not apply to us. In general, this statute prohibits a publicly held Delaware corporation from engaging in a business combination with an interested stockholder for a period of three years after the date of the transaction by which that person became an interested stockholder, unless the business combination is approved in a prescribed manner. For purposes of Section 203, a business combination includes a merger, asset sale or other transaction resulting in a financial benefit to the interested stockholder, and an interested stockholder is a person who, together with affiliates and associates, owns, or within three years prior, did own, 15% or more of voting stock.


Other Provisions of Our Certificate of Incorporation, Certificate of Designation and Bylaws


Our certificate of incorporation provides for a staggered board of directors consisting of three classes of directors. Directors of each class are chosen for three-year terms upon the expiration of their current terms and each year one class of our directors will be elected by our stockholders. There is no cumulative voting in the election of directors. This classified board provision could have the effect of making the replacement of incumbent directors more time consuming and difficult. At least two annual meetings of stockholders, instead of one, will generally be required to effect a change in a majority of our board of directors.


Thus, the classified board provision could increase the likelihood that incumbent directors will retain their positions. The staggered terms of directors may delay, defer or prevent a tender offer or an attempt to change control of us, even though a tender offer or change in control might be believed by our stockholders to be in their best interest. In addition, our certificate of incorporation and bylaws provide that directors may be removed only for cause and only with the affirmative vote of at least 80% of the then issued and outstanding shares of our capital stock entitled to vote in the election of directors.


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Pursuant to our certificate of incorporation, shares of our preferred stock may be issued from time to time, and the board of directors is authorized to determine and alter all rights, preferences, privileges, qualifications, limitations and restrictions without limitation.


The certificate of designation requires that we redeem the Series A Preferred Stock upon a Change of Control (as defined in the certificate of designation). If applicable law does not permit us to consummate such mandatory redemption because we do not have sufficient assets or funds legally available, then upon such Change of Control, all then outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall be purchased from the holders of Series A Preferred Stock by the acquiring person in such Change of Control for the Redemption Price (as defined in the certificate of designation). These provisions may dissuade potential purchasers from acquiring us if we are unable to pay the holders of Series A Preferred Stock the Redemption Price.


Stockholder Rights


Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws do not permit our stockholders to call special meetings of our stockholders. Written notice of any special meeting so called shall be given to each stockholder of record entitled to vote at such meeting not less than 10 or more than 60 days before the date of such meeting, unless otherwise required by law.


Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws provide that our stockholders may consent in writing to take any action in lieu of taking such action at a duly called annual or special meeting of our stockholders.


Our bylaws provide that nominations of persons for election to our board of directors may be made at any annual meeting of our stockholders, or at any special meeting of our stockholders called for the purpose of electing directors, (a) by or at the direction of our board of directors or (b) by any of our stockholders. In addition to any other applicable requirements, for a nomination to be properly brought by a stockholder, such stockholder must have given timely notice thereof in proper written form to our secretary. To be timely, a stockholder’s notice must be delivered to or mailed and received at our principal executive offices (a) in the case of an annual meeting of stockholders, not less than 90 days nor more than 120 days prior to the anniversary date of the immediately preceding annual meeting of stockholders; provided, however, that in the event that the annual meeting is called for a date that is not within 30 days before or after such anniversary date, notice by a stockholder in order to be timely must be so received not earlier than the opening of business 120 days before the date of such annual meeting and not later than the close of business on the tenth day following the day on which such notice of the date of the annual meeting was mailed or such public disclosure of the date of the annual meeting was made, whichever first occurs; and (b) in the case of a special meeting of our stockholders called for the purpose of electing directors, not later than the close of business on the tenth day following the day on which notice of the date of the special meeting was mailed or public disclosure of the date of the special meeting was made, whichever first occurs.


Our bylaws permit a stockholder, or a group of up to 20 stockholders, to nominate up to the greater of two director candidates or 20% of the number of directors then serving on the board of directors, if the nominating stockholder or group of stockholders has owned at least three percent or more of our outstanding common stock continuously for at least three years, provided that the stockholder(s) and the nominee(s) satisfy the eligibility, procedural and disclosure requirements specified in our bylaws. A proxy access nomination must be made not earlier than 150 days nor later than 120 days prior to the date the Company first distributed its proxy statement for the preceding year’s annual meeting of stockholders.
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Our bylaws provide that no business may be transacted at any annual meeting of our stockholders, other than business that is either (a) specified in the notice of meeting given by or at the direction of our board of directors, (b) otherwise properly brought before the annual meeting by or at the direction of our board of directors, or (c) otherwise properly brought by any of our stockholders. In addition to any other applicable requirements, for business to be properly brought before an annual meeting by a stockholder, such stockholder must have given timely notice thereof in proper written form to our secretary. To be timely, a stockholder’s notice must be delivered to or mailed and received at our principal executive offices not less than 90 days nor more than 120 days prior to the anniversary date of the immediately preceding annual meeting of stockholders; provided, however, that in the event that the annual meeting is called for a date that is not within 30 days before or after such anniversary date, notice by a stockholder in order to be timely must be so received not earlier than the opening of business 120 days before the date of such annual meeting and not later than the close of business on the tenth day following the day on which such notice of the date of the annual meeting was mailed or such public disclosure of the date of the annual meeting was made, whichever first occurs. Our bylaws provide that no business may be transacted at any special meeting of our stockholders, other than business that is specified in the notice of meeting (or any supplement thereto).


Forum Selection Clause


Our bylaws provide that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware will be the sole and exclusive forum for (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any of our directors, officers employees or agents owed to our stockholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL or our certificate of incorporation or bylaws or (iv) any action asserting a claim against us governed by the internal affairs doctrine.


Limitations on Liability and Indemnification of Directors and Officers


Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws provide that our directors will not be personally liable to us or our stockholders for monetary damages for breach of a fiduciary duty as a director, except to the extent such limitation of liability is not permitted under the DGCL, as hereafter amended. The DGCL currently prohibits limitations on liability for:


a.any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to us or our stockholders;
b.acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law;
c.liability under Delaware corporate law for an unlawful payment of dividends or an unlawful stock purchase or redemption of stock; or
d.any transaction from which the director derives an improper personal benefit.


Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws provide that we must indemnify our directors and officers to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law. We are also expressly authorized to advance certain expenses (including attorneys’ fees and disbursements and court costs) to our directors and officers and carry directors’ and officers’ insurance providing indemnification for our directors and officers for some liabilities. We believe that these indemnification provisions and insurance are useful to attract and retain qualified directors and executive officers.


We have entered into separate indemnification agreements with each of our directors and executive officers. Each indemnification agreement provides, among other things, for indemnification to 
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the fullest extent permitted by law and our certificate of incorporation against (i) any and all expenses and liabilities, including judgments, fines, penalties and amounts paid in settlement of any claim and counsel fees and disbursements, (ii) any liability pursuant to a loan guaranty, or otherwise, for any of our indebtedness and (iii) any liabilities incurred as a result of acting on our behalf (as a fiduciary or otherwise) in connection with an employee benefit plan. The indemnification agreements provide for the advancement or payment of all expenses to the indemnitee and for reimbursement to us if it is found that such indemnitee is not entitled to such indemnification under applicable law. These provisions and agreements may have the practical effect in some cases of eliminating our stockholders’ ability to collect monetary damages from our directors and executive officers.


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


Transfer Agent


The registrar and transfer agent for our common stock is Computershare Trust Company, N.A.


Listing


Our common stock is listed on the NYSE under the symbol “SNR.”










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