Document

        Exhibit 4.1

DESCRIPTION OF THE REGISTRANT’S SECURITIES REGISTERED PURSUANT TO SECTION 12 OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934, AS AMENDED
Authorized Capitalization
The total amount of our authorized capital stock consists of 500,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.0001 per share and 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share. 
The following summary describes the material provisions of our capital stock. Because it is only a summary, it may not contain all information that is important to an investor in our securities, and we urge you to read our restated certificate of incorporation, as amended (the “Certificate of Incorporation”) and our restated bylaws (the “Bylaws”), copies of which are exhibits to this Annual Report on Form 10-K (the “Annual Report”). Defined terms used herein and not defined herein shall have the meaning ascribed to such terms in our Annual Report.   
Common Stock
Voting rights. Each outstanding share of our common stock entitles the holder thereof to one vote on each matter properly submitted to stockholders for their vote. Except as otherwise required by law, holders of our common stock will not be entitled to vote on any amendment to the Certificate of Incorporation that relates solely to the terms of one or more outstanding series of preferred stock if the holders of such affected series are entitled, either separately or together as a class with the holders of one or more other such series, to vote thereon pursuant to the Certificate of Incorporation.
Dividend rights. Subject to preferences that may apply to any shares of our preferred stock outstanding at the time, the holders of our common stock are entitled to receive dividends out of funds legally available if our Board, in its discretion, determines to issue dividends and then only at the times and in the amounts that our Board may determine.
Rights upon liquidation. Upon our liquidation, dissolution, or winding-up, the assets legally available for distribution to our stockholders would be distributable ratably among the holders of common stock outstanding at that time, subject to prior satisfaction of all outstanding debt and liabilities and the preferential rights of and the payment of liquidation preferences, if any, on any outstanding shares of preferred stock.
Other rights. No holder of shares of common stock is entitled to preemptive or subscription rights contained in the Certificate of Incorporation or in the Bylaws. There are no redemption or sinking fund provisions applicable to the common stock. The rights, preferences and privileges of holders of our common stock are subject to those of the holders of any shares of our preferred stock that we may issue in the future.
Preferred Stock
We may issue preferred stock from time to time in one or more series. The Board is expressly authorized, subject to any limitations prescribed by the laws of the State of Delaware, to provide, out of unissued shares of preferred stock that have not been designated as to series, with respect to each series, to establish the number of shares to be included in each such series, to fix the designation, powers (including voting powers), preferences and relative, participating, optional or other special rights, if any, of each such series and any qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, and, subject to the rights of such series, to thereafter increase (but not above the total number of authorized shares of the preferred stock) or decrease (but not below the number of shares of such series then outstanding) the number of shares of any such series. The issuance of preferred stock could have the effect of decreasing the trading price of common stock, restricting dividends on our capital stock, diluting the voting power of the common stock, impairing the liquidation rights of our capital stock, or delaying or preventing a change in control.
Election of Directors and Vacancies
Subject to the rights of any series of preferred stock then outstanding to elect additional directors under specified circumstances, the directors on our Board currently consists of nine (9) directors, and are divided, with respect to the time for which they severally hold office, into three classes designated as Class I, Class II and Class III, respectively. The initial term of office of the Class I directors will expire at our first annual meeting of stockholders, the initial term of office of the Class II directors shall expire at our 





        Exhibit 4.1

second annual meeting of stockholders following the initial classification of our Board and the initial term of office of the Class III directors shall expire at our third annual meeting of stockholders following the initial classification of our Board. At each annual meeting of stockholders following the initial classification of our Board, directors elected to succeed those directors of the class whose terms then expire shall be elected for a term of office expiring at the third succeeding annual meeting of our stockholders after their election.
Under the Bylaws, except as may be required in the Certificate of Incorporation, directors shall be elected by a plurality of the votes cast by the holders of the shares present in person or represented by proxy at the meeting and entitled to vote on the election of directors.
Each director shall hold office until the annual meeting at which such director’s term expires and until such director’s successor is elected and qualified or until such director’s earlier death, resignation, or removal. Subject to the rights of holders of any series of preferred stock to elect directors, directors may be removed only as provided by the Certificate of Incorporation and applicable law. All vacancies occurring in the Board and any newly created directorships resulting from any increase in the authorized number of directors shall be filled in the manner set forth below.
Subject to the rights of any series of preferred stock then outstanding, any vacancy occurring in our Board for any cause, and any newly created directorship resulting from any increase in the authorized number of directors, shall be filled only by the affirmative vote of a majority of the directors then in office, even if less than a quorum, or by a sole remaining director, and shall not be filled by the stockholders. Any director elected in accordance with the preceding sentence shall hold office for a term expiring at the annual meeting of stockholders at which the term of office for the class in which the vacancy was created or occurred or, in the case of newly created directorships, the class to which the director has been assigned expires and until such director’s successor shall have been duly elected and qualified, or until such director’s earlier death, resignation, or removal.
If and for so long as the holders of any series of preferred stock have the special right to elect additional directors, the then otherwise total authorized number of our directors shall automatically be increased by such specified number of directors, and the holders of such preferred stock will be entitled to elect the additional directors so provided for or fixed pursuant to the terms of the series of preferred stock. Each such additional director shall serve until such director’s successor shall have been duly elected and qualified, or until such director’s right to hold such office terminates pursuant to said provisions, whichever occurs earlier, subject to his or her earlier death, resignation, or removal.
Quorum
Except as otherwise provided by applicable law, the Certificate of Incorporation or the Bylaws, at each meeting of stockholders the holders of a majority of the voting power of the shares of stock issued and outstanding and entitled to vote at the meeting, present in person or represented by proxy, shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. If a quorum shall fail to attend any meeting, the chairperson of the meeting or, if directed to be voted on by the chairperson of the meeting, the holders of a majority of the voting power of the shares entitled to vote who are present in person or represented by proxy at the meeting may adjourn the meeting. If the adjournment is for more than thirty (30) days, or if after the adjournment a new record date is fixed for the adjourned meeting, then a notice of the adjourned meeting shall be given to each stockholder of record entitled to vote at the meeting. At the adjourned meeting, we may transact any business that might have been transacted at the original meeting. If a quorum is present at the original meeting, it shall also be deemed present at the adjourned meeting.
Anti-takeover Effects of the Certificate of Incorporation and the Bylaws
The Certificate of Incorporation and the Bylaws contain provisions that may delay, defer or discourage another party from acquiring control of us. We expect that these provisions, which are summarized below, will discourage coercive takeover practices or inadequate takeover bids. These provisions are also designed to encourage persons seeking to acquire control of us to first negotiate with the Board, which we believe may result in an improvement of the terms of any such acquisition in favor of our stockholders. However, they also give the board of directors the power to discourage acquisitions that some stockholders may favor.
Authorized but Unissued Capital Stock
Delaware law does not require stockholder approval for any issuance of authorized shares. However, the listing requirements of Nasdaq, which would apply so long as our common stock remains listed on 





        Exhibit 4.1

Nasdaq, require stockholder approval of certain issuances equal to or exceeding 20% of the then outstanding voting power or then outstanding number of shares of our common stock. Additional shares that may be issued in the future may be used for a variety of corporate purposes, including future public offerings, to raise additional capital or to facilitate acquisitions.
One of the effects of the existence of unissued and unreserved common stock may be to enable our Board to issue shares to persons friendly to current management, which issuance could render more difficult or discourage an attempt to obtain control of us by means of a merger, tender offer, proxy contest or otherwise and thereby protect the continuity of management and possibly deprive stockholders of opportunities to sell their shares of common stock at prices higher than prevailing market prices.
Special Meeting, Action by Written Consent and Advance Notice Requirements for Stockholder Proposals
Unless otherwise required by law, and subject to the rights, if any, of the holders of any series of preferred stock, special meetings of our stockholders, for any purpose or purposes, may be called only by a majority of the Board, and our stockholders may not take action by written consent in lieu of a meeting. Notice of all meetings of stockholders shall be given in writing stating the date, time and place, if any, of the meeting, the means of remote communications, if any, by which stockholders and proxy holders may be deemed to be present in person and vote at such meeting and the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting if such date is different from the record date for determining stockholders entitled to notice of the meeting. Such notice shall also set forth the purpose or purposes for which the meeting is called. Unless otherwise required by applicable law or the Certificate of Incorporation, notice of any meeting of stockholders shall be given not less than ten (10), nor more than sixty (60), days before the date of the meeting to each stockholder of record entitled to vote at such meeting as of the record date for determining stockholders entitled to notice. The Bylaws also provide that any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of the Board, or of any committee thereof, may be taken without a meeting if all members of our Board or such committee, as the case may be, consent thereto in writing or by electronic transmission, and the writing or writings or electronic transmission or transmissions are filed with the minutes of proceedings of the New Proterra Board or committee, as applicable. Such filing shall be in paper form if the minutes are maintained in paper form and shall be in electronic form if the minutes are maintained in electronic form.
The Bylaws provide advance notice procedures for stockholders seeking to bring business before an annual meeting of stockholders or to nominate candidates for election as directors at an annual meeting of stockholders. The Bylaws also specify certain requirements regarding the form and content of a stockholder’s notice, including disclosure of the proposing stockholders’ agreements, arrangements and understandings made in connection with such a proposal or nomination. These provisions may preclude stockholders from bringing matters before an annual meeting of stockholders or from making nominations for directors at as annual meeting of stockholders. We expect that these provisions might also discourage or deter a potential acquirer from conducting a solicitation of proxies to elect the acquirer’s own slate of directors or otherwise attempting to obtain control of us. These provisions could have the effect of delaying until the next stockholder meeting any stockholder actions, even if they are favored by the holders of a majority of our outstanding voting securities.
Amendment to Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws
We may amend or repeal any provision contained in the Certificate of Incorporation in the manner prescribed by the laws of the State of Delaware, and all rights conferred upon stockholders are granted subject to this reservation. Notwithstanding any provision of the Certificate of Incorporation or any provision of law that might otherwise permit a lesser vote or no vote, subject to the rights of any outstanding series of preferred stock, but in addition to any vote of the holders of any class or series of our stock required by law or by the Certificate of Incorporation, the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds of the voting power of all of the then-outstanding shares of our capital stock entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, voting together as a single class, will be required to amend or repeal any provision of the Certificate of Incorporation. If two-thirds of our Board has approved such amendment or repeal, in which case only the affirmative vote of the holders of at least a majority of the voting power of all of the then-outstanding shares of our capital stock entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, voting together as a single class (in addition to any other vote of the holders of any class or series of our stock required by law or by the Certificate of Incorporation), will be required for such amendment or repeal.





        Exhibit 4.1

Our Board shall have the power to adopt, amend or repeal the Bylaws. Any adoption, amendment or repeal of the Bylaws by our Board shall require the approval by a majority of the directors on our Board. The stockholders shall also have power to adopt, amend or repeal the Bylaws. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Certificate of Incorporation or any provision of law that might otherwise permit a lesser or no vote, but in addition to any vote of the holders of any class or series of our stock required by applicable law or by the Certificate of Incorporation, the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds of the voting power of all of the then-outstanding shares of our capital stock entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, voting together as a single class, shall be required for the stockholders to adopt, amend or repeal any provision of the Bylaws. In the case of any proposed adoption, amendment or repeal of any provisions of the Bylaws that is approved by our Board and submitted to the stockholders for adoption thereby, if at least two-thirds of our Board has approved such adoption, amendment or repeal of any provisions of the Bylaws, then only the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the voting power of all of the then-outstanding shares of our capital stock entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, voting together as a single class, shall be required to adopt, amend or repeal any provision of the Bylaws.
Delaware Anti-Takeover Statute
Section 203 of the DGCL provides that if a person acquires 15% or more of the voting stock of a Delaware corporation, such person becomes an “interested stockholder” and may not engage in certain “business combinations” with the corporation for a period of three years from the time such person acquired 15% or more of the corporation’s voting stock, unless:
(1)  the board of directors approves the acquisition of stock or the merger transaction before the time that the person becomes an interested stockholder;
(2)  the interested stockholder owns at least 85% of the outstanding voting stock of the corporation at the time the merger transaction commences (excluding voting stock owned by directors who are also officers and certain employee stock plans); or
(3)  the merger transaction is approved by the board of directors and at a meeting of stockholders, not by written consent, by the affirmative vote of 2/3 of the outstanding voting stock which is not owned by the interested stockholder.
A Delaware corporation may elect in its certificate of incorporation or bylaws not to be governed by this particular Delaware law. Under the Certificate of Incorporation, we have not opted out of Section 203 of the DGCL and therefore we are subject to Section 203 of the DGCL.
Limitations on Liability and Indemnification of Officers and Directors
Section 145 of the DGCL, authorizes a court to award, or a corporation’s board of directors to grant, indemnity to directors and officers under certain circumstances and subject to certain limitations. The terms of Section 145 of the DGCL are sufficiently broad to permit indemnification under certain circumstances for liabilities, including reimbursement of expenses incurred, arising under the Securities Act. As permitted by the DGCL, the Certificate of Incorporation contains provisions that eliminate the personal liability of directors for monetary damages for any breach of fiduciary duties as a director, except liability for the following (i) any breach of a director’s duty of loyalty to us or our stockholders; (ii) acts or omissions not in good faith or that involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law; (iii) under Section 174 of the DGCL (regarding unlawful dividends and stock purchases); or (iv) any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit. As permitted by the DGCL, the Bylaws provide that: (i) we are required to indemnify our directors and executive officers to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, subject to very limited exceptions; (ii) we may indemnify our other employees and agents as set forth in the DGCL; (iii) we are required to advance expenses, as incurred, to our directors and executive officers in connection with a legal proceeding to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, subject to very limited exceptions; and (iv) the rights conferred in the Bylaws are not exclusive.
We have entered into indemnification agreements with each director and executive officer to provide these individuals additional contractual assurances regarding the scope of the indemnification set forth in the Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws and to provide additional procedural protections. There is no pending litigation or proceeding involving one of our directors or executive officers for which indemnification is sought. The indemnification provisions in the Certificate of Incorporation, Bylaws, and the indemnification agreements entered into between us and each of our directors and executive officers may be sufficiently broad to permit indemnification of our directors and executive officers for liabilities 





        Exhibit 4.1

arising under the Securities Act. We currently carry liability insurance for our directors and officers. Certain of our directors are also indemnified by their employers with regard to service on our Board.
Exclusive Jurisdiction of Certain Actions
The Certificate of Incorporation requires, to the fullest extent permitted by law, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, 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 behalf of us; (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any current or former director, officer, stockholder, employee or agent of ours to us or our stockholders; (iii) any action asserting a claim against us arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL, the Certificate of Incorporation or the Bylaws or as to which the DGCL confers jurisdiction on the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware; (iv) any action to interpret, apply, enforce or determine the validity of the Certificate of Incorporation or the Bylaws; or (v) any action governed by the internal affairs doctrine.
In addition, the Bylaws require that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the federal district courts of United States shall be the sole and exclusive forum for resolving any action asserting a claim arising under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act.
Transfer Agent 
The transfer agent for our common stock is Computershare Trust Company, N.A. and Computershare Inc. (together, “Computershare”). We may designate a new or additional transfer agent for such shares, and we will provide you with notice of such action and of any change in the office through which any such agent will act.
Listing of Common Stock 
Our common stock is listed on Nasdaq under the trading symbol “PTRA.”