EX-4.1


  Exhibit 4.1

  DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK

  References herein to “Dynavax,” “our,” “we,” “us” and the “Company” refer only to Dynavax Technologies Corporation.

  General

  Our authorized capital stock consists of 278,000,000 shares of common stock, $0.001 par value per share, and 5,000,000 shares of preferred stock, $0.001 par value per share. Our common stock is the only security of the Company registered pursuant to Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act.

  The following summary description is qualified entirely by reference to the applicable provisions of our certificate of incorporation, bylaws and the Delaware General Corporation Law, or Delaware Law. Our certificate of incorporation and our bylaws are incorporated by reference as exhibits to this Annual Report on Form 10-K to which this Description of Capital Stock is an exhibit.

  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 majority 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.

  Dividends. Subject to preferences that may be applicable to any then outstanding preferred stock, 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 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 preferred stock.

  Rights and Preferences. Holders of common stock have no preemptive, conversion or subscription rights, and there are no redemption or sinking fund provisions applicable to the common stock. The rights, preferences and privileges of the holders of common stock are subject to, and may be adversely affected by, the rights of the holders of shares of any series of preferred stock which we may designate in the future.

  Preferred Stock

  General. Pursuant to our certificate of incorporation, our board of directors has the authority, without further action by the stockholders (unless such stockholder action is required by applicable law or the rules of any stock exchange or market on which our securities are then traded), to designate and issue up to 5,000,000 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 designations, voting powers, preferences and other rights of the shares of each wholly unissued series, and any qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, any or all of which may be greater than the rights of our common stock. The issuance of preferred stock could adversely affect the voting power of holders of common stock and reduce the likelihood that common stockholders will receive dividend payments and payments upon. Preferred stock can also be issued quickly with terms that could have the effect of delaying, deterring or preventing a change in control of our company or make removal of management more difficult. Additionally, the issuance of preferred stock may have the effect of decreasing the market price of our common stock.

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

  

  Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws

  Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws provide for our board of directors to be 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 for the remainder of their respective three-year terms. Because our stockholders do not have cumulative voting rights, our stockholders representing a majority of the shares of common stock outstanding will be able to elect all of our directors due to be elected at each annual meeting of our stockholders. In addition, our certificate of incorporation provides that vacancies on our board of directors resulting from death, resignation, disqualification, removal or other causes may be filled by the affirmative vote of a majority of the remaining directors in office, even if less than a quorum, and that newly created directorships shall be filled by the affirmative vote of a majority of the directors then in office, even if less than a quorum, unless our board of directors determines otherwise. Our bylaws provide that all stockholder action must be effected at a duly called meeting of stockholders and not by a consent in writing, and that only the chairman of our board, our president, our secretary or a majority of the authorized number of directors may call a special meeting of stockholders. Our certificate of incorporation requires a 66-2/3% stockholder vote for the amendment, repeal or modification of certain provisions of our certificate of incorporation relating to, among other things, the classification of our board of directors and filling of vacancies on our board of directors. Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws also require a 66-2/3% stockholder vote for the stockholders to adopt, amend or repeal certain provisions of our bylaws relating to stockholder proposals at annual meetings, director nominees and the number and term of office of directors. Our board of directors also has the unilateral authority to repeal, alter or amend our bylaws or adopt new bylaws by unanimous written consent or at a meeting by the affirmative vote of a majority of the directors.

  The combination of the classification of our board of directors, the lack of cumulative voting and the 66-2/3% stockholder voting requirements 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 effect a change of our control.

  These provisions may have the effect of deterring hostile takeovers or delaying changes in our control or in our management. These provisions are intended to enhance the likelihood of continued stability in the composition of our board of directors and in the policies they implement, and to discourage certain types of transactions that may involve an actual or threatened change of our control. These provisions are designed to reduce our vulnerability to an unsolicited acquisition proposal. The provisions also are intended 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, as a consequence, they also may inhibit fluctuations in the market price of our shares that could result from actual or rumored takeover attempts.

  Section 203 of Delaware Law

  We are subject to Section 203 of Delaware Law, or Section 203, which prohibits a Delaware corporation from engaging in any business combination with any interested stockholder for a period of three years after the date that such stockholder became an interested stockholder, with the following exceptions:

  •before such date, the board of directors of the corporation approved either the business combination or the transaction that resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder;


   

  •upon completion of the transaction that 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 began, excluding for purposes of determining the voting stock outstanding (but not the outstanding voting stock owned by the interested stockholder) those shares owned (i) by persons who are directors and also officers and (ii) 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


  

   

  •on or after such date, the business combination is approved by the board of directors and authorized at an annual or special meeting of the stockholders, and not by written consent, by the affirmative vote of at least 66-2/3% of the outstanding voting stock that is not owned by the interested stockholder.


  In general, Section 203 defines business combination to include the following:

  •any merger or consolidation involving the corporation and the interested stockholder;


   

  •any sale, lease, exchange, mortgage, transfer, pledge or other disposition involving the interested stockholder (in one transaction or a series of transactions) of assets of the corporation having an aggregate market value equal to 10% or more of the aggregate market value of either all of the assets of the corporation or its outstanding stock;


   

  •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;


   

  •subject to exceptions, any transaction involving the corporation that has the effect, directly or indirectly, of increasing the proportionate share of the stock or any class or series of the corporation beneficially owned by the interested stockholder; and


   

  •the receipt by the interested stockholder of the benefit, directly or indirectly (except proportionately as a stockholder of such corporation), of any loans, advances, guarantees, pledges or other financial benefits, other than certain benefits set forth in Section 203, provided by or through the corporation.


  Section 203 defines an “interested stockholder” as an entity or person who, together with the person’s affiliates and associates, beneficially owns, or within three years prior to the time of determination of interested stockholder status did own, 15% or more of the outstanding voting stock of the corporation.

  Choice of Forum

  Our bylaws provide that, unless we consent to an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware will be the sole and exclusive forum for the following types of actions or proceedings under Delaware statutory or common law: (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf; (ii) any action or proceeding asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any of our current or former directors, officers, or other employees to us or our stockholders; (iii) any action or proceeding asserting a claim against us or any of our current or former directors, officers, or other employees, arising out of or pursuant to any provision of the Delaware General Corporation Law, our certificate of incorporation or our bylaws; (iv) any action or proceeding to interpret, apply, enforce, or determine the validity of our certificate of incorporation or our bylaws; (v) any action or proceeding as to which the Delaware General Corporation Law confers jurisdiction to the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware; and (vi) any action asserting a claim against us or any of our directors, officers, or other employees governed by the internal affairs doctrine, in all cases to the fullest extent permitted by law and subject to the court’s having personal jurisdiction over the indispensable parties named as defendants. Unless the Corporation consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, 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 of 1933, as amended.