Document:

altr-ex41_161.htm

 

Exhibit 4.1

Description of the Registrant’s Class A Common Stock

 

General

The following is a summary of the rights of our Class A common stock. This summary is qualified in its entirety by the provisions of our certificate of incorporation and bylaws, copies of which are filed as exhibits to the Annual Report of which this Exhibit s is a part.

Our authorized capital stock consists of 600,000,000 shares, with a par value of $0.0001 per share, of which:

	
 
	
•
	
 
	
513,796,572 shares are designated as Class A common stock;

 

	
 
	
•
	
 
	
41,203,428 shares are designated as Class B common stock; and

 

	
 
	
•
	
 
	
45,000,000 shares are designated as preferred stock.

Our board of directors is authorized, without stockholder approval, except as required by the listing standards of the Nasdaq Global Select Market, to issue additional shares of our authorized capital stock.

As of December 31, 2019, we had 41,271,363 shares of our Class A common stock and 31,130,732 shares of our Class B common outstanding and no shares of preferred stock outstanding. 

Class A and Class B Common Stock

Voting rights

Holders of our Class A common stock and Class B common stock have identical rights, provided however that, except as otherwise expressly provided in our certificate of incorporation or required by applicable law, on any matter that is submitted to a vote of our stockholders, holders of Class A common stock are entitled to one vote per share of Class A common stock and holders of Class B common stock are entitled to 10 votes per share of Class B common stock. Holders of shares of Class A common stock and Class B common stock vote together as a single class on all matters (including the election of directors) submitted to a vote of stockholders, unless otherwise required by Delaware law or our certificate of incorporation. Delaware law could require either holders of our Class A common stock or Class B common stock to vote separately as a single class in the following circumstances:

 

 .

 

	
 
	
•
	
 
	
if we were to seek to amend our certificate of incorporation to increase or decrease the par value of a class of our capital stock, then that class would be required to vote separately to approve the proposed amendment; and

 

	
 
	
•
	
 
	
if we were to seek to amend our certificate of incorporation in a manner that alters or changes the powers, preferences or special rights of a class of our capital stock in a manner that affected its holders adversely, then that class would be required to vote separately to approve the proposed amendment.

Under our certificate of incorporation, we may not issue any shares of Class B common stock, other than those shares issuable upon exercise of options, warrants, or similar rights to acquire Class B common stock outstanding immediately prior to the filing of the certificate of incorporation with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware and in connection with stock dividends, unless that issuance is approved by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of Class A common stock and Class B common stock, each voting separately as a class.

We have not provided for cumulative voting for the election of directors in our certificate of incorporation. Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws provide for a classified board of directors consisting of three classes of approximately equal size, each class serving staggered three-year terms. Only one class will be elected at each annual meeting of our stockholders, with the other classes continuing for the remainder of their respective three-year terms.

No preemptive or similar rights

Our classes of common stock are not entitled to preemptive rights and are not subject to conversion, redemption or sinking fund provisions.

Economic rights

Except as otherwise expressly provided in our certificate of incorporation or required by applicable law, shares of Class A common stock and Class B common stock have the same rights and privileges and rank equally, share ratably and are identical in all respects as to all matters, including, without limitation those described below.

Dividends and distributions

Subject to preferences that may apply to any shares of preferred stock outstanding at the time, the holders of Class A common stock and Class B common stock are entitled to share equally, identically and ratably, on a per share basis, with respect to any dividend or distribution of cash, property or shares of our capital stock paid or distributed by us, unless different treatment of the shares of each such class is approved by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of Class A common stock and Class B common stock, each voting separately as a class. In the event a dividend or distribution is paid in the form of shares of Class A common stock or Class B common stock or rights to acquire shares of such stock, the holders of Class A common stock shall receive Class A common stock, or rights to acquire Class A common stock, 

-2-

 

as the case may be, and the holders of Class B common stock shall receive Class B common stock, or rights to acquire Class B common stock, as the case may be.

Liquidation rights

Upon our liquidation, dissolution or winding-up, the holders of Class A common stock and Class B common stock are entitled to share equally, identically and ratably in all assets remaining after the payment of any liabilities and the liquidation preferences and any accrued or declared but unpaid dividends, if any, with respect to any outstanding preferred stock, unless different treatment of the shares of each class is approved by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of Class A common stock and Class B common stock, each voting separately as a class.

Change of control transactions

Upon (A) the closing of the sale, transfer or other disposition of all or substantially all of our assets, (B) the consummation of a merger, consolidation, business combination or share transfer which results in our voting securities outstanding immediately prior to the transaction (or the voting securities issued with respect to our voting securities outstanding immediately prior to the transaction) representing less than a majority of the combined voting power of our voting securities or the voting securities of the surviving or acquiring entity, (C) the closing of the transfer (whether by merger, consolidation or otherwise), in one transaction or a series of related transactions, to a person or group of affiliated persons of securities of the Company if, after closing, the transferee person or group would hold 50% or more of our outstanding voting stock (or the outstanding voting stock of the surviving or acquiring entity), (D) any voluntary or involuntary recapitalization, liquidation, dissolution or winding-up, or (E) the issuance by us of voting securities representing more than 2% of our total voting power to a person who held 50% or less of our total voting power immediately prior to such transaction and who following such transaction holds more than 50% of our total voting power, the holders of Class A common stock and Class B common stock will be treated equally and identically with respect to shares of Class A common stock or Class B common stock owned by them, unless different treatment of the shares of each class is approved by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of Class A common stock and Class B common stock, each voting separately as a class.

Subdivisions and combinations

If we subdivide or combine in any manner outstanding shares of Class A common stock or Class B common stock, the outstanding shares of the other class will be subdivided or combined in the same manner, unless different treatment of the shares of each class is approved by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of Class A common stock and Class B common stock, each voting as a separate class.

Conversion

Each share of our Class B common stock is automatically convertible into one share of our Class A common stock pursuant to the terms of our certificate of incorporation upon the occurrence of certain events. With respect to all beneficial owners, as defined in our certificate of incorporation, 

-3-

 

of Class B common stock, each share of Class B common stock will convert automatically into one share of Class A common stock (i) upon the date specified by affirmative vote of the holders of at least 66-2/3% of the outstanding shares of Class B common stock, (ii) if the executive holder, as defined in our certificate of incorporation, is neither (x) an executive officer of the company nor (y) a director of the company, (iii) upon the date on which the executive holder has beneficial ownership of less than 10% of the capital stock of the company, or (iv) upon the 12 year anniversary of the date of filing of our certificate of incorporation in connection with our initial public offering.

With respect to each individual beneficial owner of Class B common stock, each share of Class B common stock held by a beneficial owner will convert automatically into one share of Class A common stock (i) at any time at the option of such owner, (ii) upon any transfer, whether or not for value, except for certain transfers described in our certificate of incorporation, including, without limitation, transfers from a founder, as defined in our certificate, to another founder, or certain permitted transferees, or (iii) in the event any beneficial owner owns shares of Class B common stock constituting less than 3% of the outstanding shares of Class B common stock.

Each share of Class B common stock held by all beneficial owners of Class B common stock, except the executive holder, will convert automatically into one share of Class A common stock in the event the key holders, as defined in our certificate of incorporation, beneficially own, in the aggregate, more shares of Class B common stock than the executive holder, in which event the only holder of Class B common stock will be the executive holder.

In addition, upon the death or incapacity of a beneficial owner of Class B common stock, other than the executive holder, each share of Class B common stock held by such beneficial owner will convert automatically into one share of Class A common stock, immediately upon such death or incapacity, except, with respect to the key holders, such automatic conversion will occur on the date which is nine months after the date of such death or incapacity. Upon the death or incapacity of the executive holder, each share of Class B common stock held by all beneficial owners of Class B common stock will convert automatically into one share of Class A common stock on the date which is nine months after the date of such death or incapacity.

Preferred stock

Pursuant to our certificate of incorporation, our board of directors has the authority, without further action by the stockholders, to issue from time to time up to 45,000,000 shares of preferred stock in one or more series. Our board of directors may designate the rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions of the preferred stock, including dividend rights, conversion rights, voting rights, redemption rights, liquidation preference, sinking fund terms and the number of shares constituting any series or the designation of any series. The issuance of preferred stock could have the effect of restricting dividends on the Class A and Class B common stock, diluting the voting power of the Class A and Class B common stock, impairing the liquidation rights of the Class A and Class B common stock or delaying, deterring or preventing a change in control. Such issuance could have the effect of decreasing the market price of the Class A and Class B common stock. 

Anti-takeover effects of Delaware law and our certificate of incorporation and bylaws

-4-

 

Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws contain provisions that could have the effect of delaying, deferring or discouraging another party from acquiring control of us. These provisions and certain provisions of Delaware law, which are summarized below, could discourage takeovers, coercive or otherwise. These provisions are also designed, in part, to encourage persons seeking to acquire control of us to negotiate first with our board of directors. We believe that the benefits of increased protection of our potential ability to negotiate with an unfriendly or unsolicited acquirer outweigh the disadvantages of discouraging a proposal to acquire us.

Dual class stock. As described above, our certificate of incorporation provides for a dual class common stock structure, which provides our founders and certain others with significant influence over all matters requiring stockholder approval, including the election of directors and significant corporate transactions, such as a merger or other sale of our company or its assets.

Issuance of undesignated preferred stock. As discussed above, our board of directors has the ability to designate and issue preferred stock with voting or other rights or preferences that could deter hostile takeovers or delay changes in our control or management.

Limits on ability of stockholders to act by written consent or call a special meeting. Our certificate of incorporation provides that our stockholders may not act by written consent. This limit on the ability of stockholders to act by written consent may lengthen the amount of time required to take stockholder actions. As a result, the holders of a majority of our capital stock would not be able to amend the bylaws or remove directors without holding a meeting of stockholders called in accordance with the bylaws.

In addition, our bylaws provide that special meetings of the stockholders may be called only by the chairman of our board of directors, the chief executive officer, the president (in the absence of a chief executive officer) or a majority of our board of directors. A stockholder may not call a special meeting, which may delay the ability of our stockholders to force consideration of a proposal or for holders controlling a majority of our capital stock to take any action, including the removal of directors.

Requirements for advance notification of stockholder nominations and proposals. Our bylaws establish advance notice procedures with respect to stockholder proposals and the nomination of candidates for election as directors, other than nominations made by or at the direction of our board of directors or a committee of the board of directors. These advance notice procedures may have the effect of precluding the conduct of certain business at a meeting if the proper procedures are not followed and may also discourage or deter a potential acquirer from conducting a solicitation of proxies to elect its own slate of directors or otherwise attempt to obtain control of our company.

Board classification. Our certificate of incorporation provides that our board of directors is divided into three classes, one class of which is elected each year by our stockholders. The directors in each class serve for a three-year term. Our classified board of directors may tend to discourage a third party from making a tender offer or otherwise attempting to obtain control of us because it generally makes it more difficult for stockholders to replace a majority of the directors.

-5-

 

Election and removal of directors. Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws contain provisions that establish specific procedures for appointing and removing members of our board of directors. Under our certificate of incorporation and bylaws, vacancies and newly created directorships on our board of directors may be filled only by a majority of the directors then serving on our board of directors. Under our certificate of incorporation and bylaws, directors may be removed only for cause.

No cumulative voting. The Delaware General Corporation Law provides that stockholders are not entitled to the right to cumulate votes in the election of directors unless our certificate of incorporation provides otherwise. Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws do not expressly provide for cumulative voting. Without cumulative voting, a minority stockholder may not be able to gain as many seats on our board of directors as the stockholder would be able to gain if cumulative voting were permitted. The absence of cumulative voting makes it more difficult for a minority stockholder to gain a seat on our board of directors to influence our board of directors’ decision regarding a takeover.

Amendment of charter provision. Amendments of certain provisions in our certificate of incorporation would require approval by holders of at least two-thirds of our then outstanding Class A and Class B common stock, voting together as a single class.

Delaware anti-takeover statute. We are subject to the provisions of Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law regulating corporate takeovers. In general, Section 203 prohibits a publicly held Delaware corporation from engaging, under certain circumstances, in a business combination with an interested stockholder for a period of three years following the date the person became an interested stockholder unless:

 

	
 
	
•
	
 
	
prior to the date of the transaction, our board of directors 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 commenced, excluding for purposes of determining the voting stock outstanding, but not the outstanding voting stock owned by the interested stockholder, (1) shares owned by persons who are directors and also officers and (2) shares owned by 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

 

-6-

 

	
 
	
•
	
 
	
at or subsequent to the date of the transaction, the business combination is approved by our board of directors and authorized at an annual or special meeting of stockholders, and 

not by written consent, by the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds 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. An interested stockholder is a person 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 a corporation’s outstanding voting stock. We expect the existence of this provision to have an anti-takeover effect with respect to transactions our board of directors does not approve in advance. We also anticipate that Section 203 may discourage attempts that might result in a premium over the market price for the shares of Class A common stock held by stockholders.

The provisions of Delaware law and 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 might also inhibit temporary fluctuations in the market price of our Class A common stock that often result from actual or rumored hostile takeover attempts. These provisions might also have the effect of preventing changes in our management. It is also possible that these provisions could make it more difficult to accomplish transactions that stockholders might otherwise deem to be in their best interests.

 

-7-Exhibit

Exhibit 4.1

DESCRIPTION OF THE REGISTRANT’S SECURITIES
REGISTERED PURSUANT TO SECTION 12 OF THE SECURITIES
EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
GenMark Diagnostics, Inc. (“GenMark,” “we,” “our,” or “us”) has one class of securities registered under Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended: our common stock.
DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK
The following summary of the terms of our capital stock is based upon our Certificate of Incorporation, as amended (the “Certificate of Incorporation”) and our Amended and Restated By-laws, as amended (the “By-laws”). The summary is not complete, and is qualified by reference to our Certificate of Incorporation and our By-laws, which are filed as exhibits to our Annual Report on Form 10-K and are incorporated by reference herein. We encourage you to read our Certificate of Incorporation, our By-laws and the applicable provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law (the “DGCL”) for additional information.
Authorized Shares of Capital Stock
Our authorized capital stock consists of 100,000,000 (One Hundred Million) shares of common stock, $0.0001 par value, and 5,000,000 (Five Million) shares of preferred stock, $0.0001 par value. Our Board of Directors is authorized to establish one or more series of preferred stock and to set the powers, preferences and rights, as well as the qualifications, limitations or restrictions, of such series. These rights of the series of preferred stock may include, without limitation, dividend rights, dividend rates, conversion rights, voting rights, rights and terms of redemption (including sinking fund provisions) and liquidation preferences.  
Listing
Our common stock is listed and principally traded on The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (Nasdaq Global Market segment) under the symbol “GNMK.”
Voting Rights
The holders of common stock are entitled to one vote per share on all matters voted on by the stockholders, including the election of directors. Except as otherwise provided by law, our Certificate of Incorporation or our By-laws, matters will generally be decided by a majority of the shares present in person or represented by proxy at the meeting and entitled to vote on the matter. Our stockholders do not have the right to vote cumulatively.
Board of Directors
Our By-laws provide that the authorized number of directors shall be fixed from time to time by a resolution duly adopted by the Board of Directors. Our Certificate of Incorporation and By-laws provide that our Board of Directors be classified into three classes, each class to serve for a term of three years and to be as nearly equal in number as possible.
Our By-laws provide that directors may be removed only with cause by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the shares entitled to vote at an election of directors. 
Our By-laws provide that a vacancy on the Board of Directors resulting from an increase in the number of authorized directors or death, resignation, retirement, disqualification, removal or other causes shall be filled by a majority of the directors then in office. 
Dividend Rights
Subject to any preferential dividend rights granted to the holders of any shares of our preferred stock that may at the time be outstanding, holders of our common stock are entitled to receive dividends as may be declared from time to time by our Board of Directors out of funds legally available therefor.
Rights upon Liquidation
Subject to any preferential rights of outstanding shares of preferred stock, upon any liquidation or dissolution of GenMark, holders of our common stock are entitled to share pro rata in all remaining assets legally available for distribution to stockholders.

Other Rights and Preferences
Our common stock has no sinking fund, redemption provisions, or preemptive, conversion, or exchange rights. There are no restrictions on transfer of our common stock, except as required by law.
Certain Anti-Takeover Effects
Certain provisions of our Certificate of Incorporation and By-laws may be deemed to have an anti-takeover effect.
Business Combinations. Section 203 of the DGCL restricts a wide range of transactions (“business combinations”) between a corporation and an interested stockholder. An “interested stockholder” is, generally, any person who beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, 15% or more of the corporation’s outstanding voting stock. Business combinations are broadly defined to include (i) mergers or consolidations with, (ii) sales or other dispositions of more than 10% of the corporation’s assets to, (iii) certain transactions resulting in the issuance or transfer of any stock of the corporation or any subsidiary to, (iv) certain transactions resulting in an increase in the proportionate share of stock of the corporation or any subsidiary owned by, or (v) receipt of the benefit (other than proportionately as a stockholder) of any loans, advances or other financial benefits by, an interested stockholder. Section 203 provides that an interested stockholder may not engage in a business combination with the corporation for a period of three years from the time of becoming an interested stockholder unless (a) the Board of Directors approved either the business combination or the transaction which resulted in the person becoming an interested stockholder prior to the time that person became an interested stockholder; (b) upon consummation of the transaction which resulted in the person becoming an interested stockholder, that person owned at least 85% of the corporation’s voting stock (excluding, for purposes of determining the voting stock outstanding (but not the outstanding voting stock owned by the interested stockholder) shares owned by persons who are directors and also officers and shares owned by certain employee stock plans); or (c) the business combination is approved by the Board of Directors and authorized by the affirmative vote of at least 66 2/3% of the outstanding voting stock not owned by the interested stockholder. The restrictions on business combinations with interested stockholders contained in Section 203 of the DGCL do not apply to a corporation whose certificate of incorporation or bylaws contains a provision expressly electing not to be governed by the statute. Neither our Certificate of Incorporation nor our By-laws contains a provision electing to “opt-out” of Section 203.
Advance Notice and Proxy Access Provisions. Our By-laws require timely advance notice 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 and specify certain requirements regarding the form and content of a stockholder’s notice. The chair of the annual meeting has the ability to determine and declare at the meeting that business was not properly brought before the meeting in accordance with the provisions of our By-laws, and, if he or she should so determine, he or she shall so declare at the meeting that any such business not properly brought before the meeting shall not be transacted.  
These provisions might preclude our stockholders from bringing matters before our annual meeting of stockholders or from making nominations for directors at our annual meeting of stockholders if the proper procedures are not followed.
Board Classification. Our Certificate of Incorporation and By-laws provide that our Board of Directors is divided into three classes, one class of which is elected each year by our stockholders. The directors in each class serve for a three-year term. Our classified Board of Directors may tend to discourage a third party from making a tender offer or otherwise attempting to obtain control of us because it generally makes it more difficult for stockholders to replace a majority of the directors.
Special Meetings. Special meetings of stockholders may be called at any time by the Chair of the Board, the Board of Directors, or the Chief Executive Officer. 
Stockholder Action by Written Consent without a Meeting. Our Certificate of Incorporation provides that any action required or permitted to be taken by the stockholders may be taken without a meeting, without prior notice and without a vote, if a consent in writing, setting forth the action so taken, shall be signed by the holders of record of all of the issued and outstanding capital stock authorized by law or by this Certificate of Incorporation to vote on such action.
Supermajority Approvals. Our Certificate of Incorporation and By-laws provide that certain amendments to our Certificate of Incorporation or By-laws by stockholders will require the approval of two-thirds of the combined vote of our then-outstanding shares of common stock. 
Additional Authorized Shares of Capital Stock. The additional shares of authorized common stock and preferred stock available for issuance under our Certificate of Incorporation could be issued at such times, under such circumstances and with such terms and conditions as to impede a change in control.

Choice of Forum. 
Our By-laws provide that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware is 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 Delaware General Corporation Law, our Certificate of Incorporation or our By-laws; or any action asserting a claim against us that is governed by the internal affairs doctrine.
Transfer Agent and Registrar
American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC is the transfer agent and registrar for our common stock.

Source: [{"source": "alea-institute/alea-institute/kl3m-data-edgar-agreements/train-00305-of-00352.parquet"}, [{"source": "alea-institute/alea-institute/kl3m-data-edgar-agreements/train-00305-of-00352.parquet"}]]