SEC Form 424B3 filed by Diversified Energy Company plc
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a) | to any legal entity which is a qualified investor as defined under Article 2 of the UK Prospectus Regulation; |
b) | to fewer than 150 natural or legal persons (other than qualified investors as defined under Article 2 of the UK Prospectus Regulation), subject to obtaining the prior consent of the Company for any such offer; or |
c) | in any other circumstances falling within Section 86 of the Financial Services and Markets Act, 2000, as amended (“FSMA”), |
• | operating results that vary from our financial guidance or the expectations of securities analysts and investors; |
• | changes in natural gas, NGL or oil prices; |
• | the operating and securities price performance of companies that investors consider to be comparable to us; |
• | announcements of strategic developments, acquisitions and other material events by us or our competitors; |
• | failure to meet or exceed financial estimates and projections of the investment community or that we provide to the public; |
• | initial issuance of new or updated research or reports by securities analysts; |
• | changes in government regulations; |
• | financing or other corporate transactions; |
• | the loss of any of our key personnel; |
• | sales of our ordinary shares by us, our executive officers and board members or our shareholders in the future, or the perception that such sales may occur; |
• | speculation in the press or investment community; |
• | domestic and international economic, geopolitical, and legal factors unrelated to our performance; |
• | price and volume fluctuations in the overall stock market, including as a result of trends in the economy as a whole; and |
• | other events and factors, many of which are beyond our control. |
• | declines in, the sustained depression of, or increased volatility in the prices we receive for our natural gas, oil and NGLs, or increases in the differential between index natural gas, oil and NGL prices and prices received; |
• | operating risks, including, but not limited to, risks related to properties where we do not serve as the operator; |
• | the adequacy of our capital resources and liquidity, including, but not limited to, access to additional borrowing capacity under our Credit Facility and the ability to obtain future financing on commercially reasonable terms or at all; |
• | the effects of and changes in government regulation, permitting and other legal requirements, including, but not limited to, new legislation; |
• | laws and regulations relating to climate change and GHG emissions and physical risks associated with climate change; |
• | increasing attention to sustainability matters and conservation measures and risks related to our public statements with respect to such matters that may be subject to heightened scrutiny from public and governmental authorities related to the risk of potential “greenwashing,” (i.e., misleading information or false claims overstating potential sustainability-related benefits, risks that the Company may face regarding potentially conflicting anti-environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) initiatives from certain U.S. state or other governments, which could lead to increased litigation risk from private parties and governmental authorities or regulatory bodies related to our sustainability efforts); |
• | potential liability resulting from pending or future litigation, government investigations and other proceedings; |
• | the effects of environmental, natural gas, oil and NGL related and occupational health and safety laws and regulations, including, but not limited to delays, curtailment or cessation of operations or exposure to material costs and liabilities; |
• | difficult and adverse conditions in the domestic and global capital and credit markets and economies, including effects of diseases, political instability, including but not limited to instability related to the military conflict in Ukraine and in Israel and surrounding countries, and pricing and production decisions; |
• | the concentration of our operations in the Appalachian Basin, the Barnett Shale, the Cotton Valley Formation, the Haynesville Shale of the United States and the Mid-Continent producing region; |
• | potential financial losses or earnings reductions resulting from our commodity price risk management program or any inability to manage our commodity price risks; |
• | the failure by counterparties to our derivative risk management activities to perform their obligations; |
• | shortages of oilfield equipment, supplies, services and qualified personnel and increased costs for such equipment, supplies, services and personnel; |
• | access to pipelines, storage platforms, shipping vessels and other means of transporting and storing and refining gas and oil, including without limitation, changes in availability of, and access to, pipeline usage; |
• | risks and liabilities associated with acquired properties, including, but not limited to, the assets acquired in our most recent acquisitions and future acquisitions; |
• | uncertainties about the estimated quantities of our natural gas, oil and NGL reserves; |
• | uncertainties about our ability to replace reserves; |
• | our hedging strategy; |
• | competition in the natural gas, oil and NGL industry; |
• | our substantial existing indebtedness; and |
• | risks related to and the effects of actual or anticipated pandemics such as the COVID-19 pandemic. |
Selling Shareholder | | | Number of Ordinary Shares Owned Prior to the Offering | | | Percentage of Ordinary Shares Owned Prior to the Offering | | | Maximum Number of Ordinary Shares to be Sold Pursuant to this Prospectus | | | Number of Ordinary Shares Owned After the Offering | | | Percentage of Ordinary Shares Owned After the Offering |
Crescent Pass Energy Holdings, LLC(1) | | | 2,249,650 | | | 4.54% | | | 2,249,650 | | | — | | | — |
(1) | The ordinary shares are held by GTU Ops in its capacity as nominee for Computershare Trust Company N.A. (the “Depositary”), as the depositary and issuer of depositary receipts, acting under the terms of a DR agreement dated 11 December 2023. The Depositary has issued depositary receipts in certificated form in respect of the underlying entitlement to Ordinary Shares on a one for one basis to Crescent Pass Energy Holdings, LLC. |
• | each holder of our ordinary shares is entitled to one vote per ordinary share on all matters to be voted on by shareholders generally; |
• | the holders of the ordinary shares shall be entitled to receive notice of, attend, speak and vote at our general meetings; and |
• | holders of our ordinary shares are entitled to receive such dividends as are recommended by our board of directors and declared by our shareholders. |
• | the name of any person, without sufficient cause, is wrongly entered in or omitted from our register of shareholders; or |
• | there is a default or unnecessary delay in entering on the register the fact of any person having ceased to be a shareholder or on whose shares we have a lien, provided that such refusal does not prevent dealings in the shares taking place on an open and proper basis. |
• | every shareholder present in person shall have one vote; |
• | each proxy present who has been duly appointed by one or more shareholders entitled to vote on the resolution has one vote unless the proxy has been appointed by more than one shareholder entitled to vote on the resolution in which case: (i) where the proxy has been instructed by one or more of such shareholders to vote for the resolution and by one or more of such shareholders to vote against the resolution the proxy has one vote for and one vote against the resolution; or (ii) where the proxy has been instructed by, or exercises his discretion given by, one or more of those shareholders to vote for the resolution and has been instructed by, or exercises his discretion given by, one or more other of those shareholders to vote against it, a proxy has one vote for and one vote against the resolution; and |
• | each person authorized by a corporation to exercise voting powers on behalf of the corporation is entitled to exercise the same voting powers as the corporation would be entitled to unless a corporation authorizes more than one person, in which case: (i) if more than one person authorized by the same corporation purport to exercise the power to vote on a show of hands in respect of the same shares in the Company and exercise the power in the same way as each other, the power is treated as exercised in that way; or (ii) if more than one person authorized by the same corporation purports to exercise the power to vote on a show of hands in respect of the same shares in the Company, and they do not exercise the power in the same way as each other, the power is treated as not exercised. |
• | the chairman of the meeting; |
• | at least five shareholders present in person or by proxy having the right to vote on the resolution; or |
• | a shareholder or shareholders present in person or by proxy representing in aggregate not less than 10% of the total voting rights of all the shareholders having the right to vote on the resolution (excluding any voting rights attached to any shares in the Company held as treasury shares); or |
• | a shareholder or shareholders present in person or by proxy holding shares conferring the right to vote on the resolution on which an aggregate sum has been paid up equal to not less than 10% of the total sum paid up on all the shares conferring that right (excluding shares in the Company conferring a right to vote on the resolution which are held as treasury shares), |
• | divide among the shareholders in specie the whole or any part of the assets of the Company and, for that purpose, value any assets and determine how the division shall be earned out as between the shareholders or different classes of shareholders; or |
• | vest the whole or any part of the assets in trustees upon such trusts for the benefit of shareholders as the liquidator, with the like sanction, shall think fit but no shareholder shall be compelled to accept any assets upon which there is any liability. |
• | which is not fully paid up but, in the case of a class of shares which has been admitted to official listing by the United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority, not so as to prevent dealings in those shares from taking place on an open and proper basis; or |
• | on which the Company has a lien. |
• | left at the office, or at such other place as the board of directors may decide, for registration; |
• | accompanied by the certificate for the shares to be transferred and such other evidence (if any) as the board of directors may reasonably require to prove the title of the intending transferor or his right to transfer the shares; and |
• | in respect of only one class of shares. |
• | the quorum for such class meeting shall be two holders in person or by proxy representing not less than one-third in nominal value of the issued shares of the class (excluding any shares held in treasury); |
• | at the class meeting, a holder of shares of the class present in person or by proxy may demand a poll and shall on a poll be entitled to one vote for every share of the class held by him; and |
• | if at any adjourned meeting of such holders a quorum is not present at the meeting, one holder of shares of the class present in person or by proxy at an adjourned meeting constitutes a quorum. |
• | he is recommended by the board of directors; or |
• | not less than 14 nor more than 42 days before the date appointed for the meeting there has been given to the Company, by a shareholder (other than the person to be proposed) entitled to vote at the meeting, notice of his intention to propose a resolution for the election of that person, stating the particulars which would, if he were so elected, be required to be included in the Company’s register of directors and a notice executed by that person of his willingness to be elected. |
• | enter into or be interested in any transaction or arrangement with the Company, either with regard to his tenure of any office or position in the management, administration or conduct of the business of the Company or as vendor, purchaser or otherwise; |
• | hold any other office or place of profit with the Company (except that of auditor) in conjunction with his office of director for such period (subject to the Companies Act 2006) and upon such terms as the board of directors may decide and be paid such extra remuneration for so doing (whether by way of salary, commission, participation in profits or otherwise) as the board of directors may decide, either in addition to or in lieu of any remuneration under any other provision of our Articles of Association; |
• | act by himself or his firm in a professional capacity for the Company (except as auditor) and be entitled to remuneration for professional services as if he were not a director; |
• | be or become a shareholder or director of, or hold any other office or place of profit under, or otherwise be interested in, any holding company or subsidiary undertaking of that holding company or any other company in which the Company may be interested. The board of directors may cause the voting rights conferred by the shares in any other company held or owned by the Company or exercisable by them as directors of that other company to be exercised in such manner in all respects as it thinks fit (including the exercise of voting rights in favor of any resolution appointing the directors or any of them as directors or officers of the other company or voting or providing for the payment of any benefit to the directors or officers of the other company); and |
• | be or become a director of any other company in which the Company does not have an interest if that cannot reasonably be regarded as likely to give rise to a conflict of interest at the time of his appointment as a director of that other company. |
• | any transaction or arrangement in which he is interested by virtue of an interest in shares, debentures or other securities of the Company or otherwise in or through the Company; |
• | the giving of any guarantee, security or indemnity in respect of: |
• | money lent or obligations incurred by him or by any other person at the request of, or for the benefit of, the Company or any of its subsidiary undertakings; or |
• | a debt or obligation of the Company or any of its subsidiary undertakings for which he himself has assumed responsibility in whole or in part (either alone or jointly with others) under a guarantee or indemnity or by the giving of security; |
• | indemnification (including loans made in connection with it) by the Company in relation to the performance of his duties on behalf of the Company or of any of its subsidiary undertakings; |
• | any issue or offer of shares, debentures or other securities of the Company or any of its subsidiary undertakings in respect of which he is or may be entitled to participate in his capacity as a holder of any such securities or as an underwriter or sub underwriter; |
• | any transaction or arrangement concerning any other company in which he does not hold, directly or indirectly as shareholder, or through his direct or indirect holdings of financial instruments (within the meaning of Chapter 5 of the Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules of the United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority) voting rights representing 1% or more of any class of shares in the capital of that company; |
• | any arrangement for the benefit of employees of the Company or any of its subsidiary undertakings which does not accord to him any privilege or benefit not generally accorded to the employees to whom the arrangement relates; and |
• | the purchase or maintenance of insurance for the benefit of directors or for the benefit of persons including directors. |
• | pay, provide, arrange or procure the grant of pensions or other retirement benefits, death, disability or sickness benefits, health, accident and other insurances or other such benefits, allowances, gratuities or insurances, including in relation to the termination of employment, to or for the benefit of any person who is or has been at any time a director of the Company or in the employment or service of the Company or of any body corporate which is or was associated with the Company or of the predecessors in business of the Company or any such associated body corporate, or the relatives or dependents of any such person. For that purpose, the board of directors may procure the establishment and maintenance of, or participation in, or contribution to, any pension fund, scheme or arrangement and the payment of any insurance premiums; |
• | establish, maintain, adopt and enable participation in any profit sharing or incentive scheme including shares, share options or cash or any similar schemes for the benefit of any director or employee of the Company or of any associated body corporate, and to lend money to any such director or employee or to trustees on their behalf to enable any such schemes to be established, maintained or adopted; and |
• | support and subscribe to any institution or association which may be for the benefit of the Company or of any associated body corporate or any directors or employees of the Company or associated body corporate or their relatives or dependents or connected with any town or place where the Company or an associated body corporate carries on business, and to support and subscribe to any charitable or public object whatsoever. |
(i) | indemnify any director of the Company (or of an associated body corporate) against any liability; |
(ii) | indemnify a director of a company that is a trustee of an occupational pension scheme for employees (or former employees) of the Company (or of an associated body corporate) against liability incurred in connection with the company’s activities as trustee of the scheme; |
(iii) | purchase and maintain insurance against any liability for any director referred to in paragraph (i) or (ii) above; and |
(iv) | provide any director referred to in paragraphs (i) or (ii) above with funds (whether by loan or otherwise) to meet expenditure incurred or to be incurred by him in defending any criminal, regulatory or civil proceedings or in connection with an application for relief (or to enable any such director to avoid incurring such expenditure), the powers given by the Articles of Association shall not limit any general powers of the Company to grant indemnities, purchase and maintain insurance or provide funds (whether by way of loan or otherwise) to any person in connection with any legal or regulatory proceedings or applications for relief. |
• | in respect of the default shares, the relevant shareholder shall not be entitled to attend or vote (either in person or by proxy) at any general meeting or of a general meeting of the holders of a class of shares or upon any poll or to exercise any right conferred by the default shares; |
• | where the default shares represent at least 0.25% of their class, (i) any dividend or other money payable in respect of the default shares shall be retained by us without liability to pay interest, and/or |
• | any shares held by the relevant shareholder in uncertificated form shall be converted into certificated form and that shareholder shall not after that be entitled to convert all or any shares held by him into uncertificated form (unless the shareholder himself is not in default as regards supplying the information required and the shareholder proves to the satisfaction of the board that, after due and careful inquiry, the shareholder is satisfied that none of the shares he is proposing to convert into uncertificated form is a default share). |
• | specify the maximum number of shares authorized to be acquired; |
• | determine the maximum and minimum prices that may be paid for the shares; and |
• | specify a date, not being later than five years after the passing of the resolution, on which the authority to purchase is to expire. |
• | if, at the time that the distribution is made, the amount of its net assets (that is, the total excess of assets over liabilities) is not less than the total of its called-up share capital and undistributable reserves; and |
• | if, and to the extent that, the distribution itself, at the time that it is made, does not reduce the amount of the net assets to less than that total. |
• | acquires an interest in our shares which, when taken together with shares in which he or persons acting in concert with him are interested, carries 30% or more of the voting rights of our shares; or |
• | who, together with persons acting in concert with him, is interested in shares that in the aggregate carry not less than 30% and not more than 50% of the voting rights of our shares, and such persons, or any person acting in concert with him, acquires additional interests in shares that increase the percentage of shares carrying voting rights in which that person is interested, |
| | United Kingdom | | | Delaware | |
Appointment and Number of Directors | | | Under the Companies Act 2006, a public limited company must have at least two directors, and the number of directors may be fixed by or in the manner provided in a company’s articles of association. | | | Under Delaware law, a corporation must have at least one director, and the number of directors shall be fixed by or in the manner provided in the by-laws. |
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Removal of Directors | | | Under the Companies Act 2006, shareholders may remove a director without cause by an ordinary resolution (which is passed by a simple majority of those voting in person or by proxy at a general meeting) irrespective of any provisions of any service contract the director has with the company, provided 28 clear days’ notice of the resolution has been given to the company and its shareholders. On receipt of notice of an intended resolution to remove a director, the company must forthwith send a copy of the notice to the director concerned. Certain other procedural requirements under the Companies Act 2006 must also be followed, such as allowing the director to make representations against his or her removal either at the meeting or in writing. | | | Under Delaware law, any director or the entire board of directors may be removed, with or without cause, by the holders of a majority of the shares then entitled to vote at an election of directors, except (i) unless the certificate of incorporation provides otherwise, in the case of a corporation whose board of directors is classified, stockholders may effect such removal only for cause; or (ii) in the case of a corporation having cumulative voting, if less than the entire board of directors is to be removed, no director may be removed without cause if the votes cast against his or her removal would be sufficient to elect him or her if then cumulatively voted at an election of the entire board of directors, or, if there are classes of directors, at an election of the class of directors of which he or she is a part. |
| | United Kingdom | | | Delaware | |
Vacancies on the Board of Directors | | | Under UK law, the procedure by which directors, other than a company’s initial directors, are appointed is generally set out in a company’s articles of association, provided that where two or more persons are appointed as directors of a public limited company by resolution of the shareholders, resolutions appointing each director must be voted on individually. | | | Under Delaware law, vacancies and newly created directorships may be filled by a majority of the directors then in office (even though less than a quorum) or by a sole remaining director unless (i) otherwise provided in the certificate of incorporation or by-laws of the corporation or (ii) the certificate of incorporation directs that a particular class of stock is to elect such director, in which case a majority of the other directors elected by such class, or a sole remaining director elected by such class, will fill such vacancy. |
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Annual General Meeting | | | Under the Companies Act 2006, a public limited company must hold an annual general meeting in each six-month period following the company’s annual accounting reference date. | | | Under Delaware law, the annual meeting of stockholders shall be held at such place, on such date and at such time as may be designated from time to time by the board of directors or as provided in the certificate of incorporation or by the by-laws. |
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General Meeting | | | Under the Companies Act 2006, a general meeting of the shareholders of a public limited company may be called by the directors. Shareholders holding at least 5% of the paid-up capital of the company carrying voting rights at general meetings (excluding nay paid up capital held as treasury shares) can require the directors to call a general meeting, and, if the directors fail to do so within a certain period, may themselves convene a general meeting. | | | Under Delaware law, special meetings of the stockholders may be called by the board of directors or by such person or persons as may be authorized by the certificate of incorporation or by the by-laws. |
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Notice of General Meetings | | | Under the Companies Act 2006, 21 clear days’ notice must be given for an annual general meeting and any resolutions to be proposed at the meeting. Subject to a company’s articles of association providing for a longer period, at least 14 clear days’ notice is required for any other general meeting. In addition, certain matters, such as the removal of directors or auditors, require special notice, which is 28 clear days’ notice. The shareholders of a company may in all cases consent to a shorter notice period, the proportion of shareholders’ consent required being 100% of those entitled to attend and vote in the case of an annual general meeting and, in the case of any other general meeting, a majority in number of the shareholders having a right to attend and vote at the meeting, being a majority who together hold not less than 95% in nominal value of the shares giving a right to attend and vote at the meeting. | | | Under Delaware law, unless otherwise provided in the certificate of incorporation or by-laws, written notice of any meeting of the stockholders must be given to each stockholder entitled to vote at the meeting not less than ten nor more than 60 days before the date of the meeting and shall specify the place, date, hour, and purpose or purposes of the meeting. |
| | United Kingdom | | | Delaware | |
Proxy | | | Under the Companies Act 2006, at any meeting of shareholders, a shareholder may designate another person to attend, speak and vote at the meeting on their behalf by proxy. | | | Under Delaware law, at any meeting of stockholders, a stockholder may designate another person to act for such stockholder by proxy, but no such proxy shall be voted or acted upon after three years from its date, unless the proxy provides for a longer period. A director of a Delaware corporation may not issue a proxy representing the director’s vote (written or verbal) via another board member. |
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Preemptive Rights | | | Under the Companies Act 2006, “equity securities,” being (i) shares in a company other than shares that, with respect to dividends and capital, carry a right to participate only up to a specified amount in a distribution (“ordinary shares”) or (ii) rights to subscribe for, or to convert securities into, ordinary shares, proposed to be allotted for cash must be offered first to the existing equity shareholders in the company in proportion to the respective nominal value of their holdings, unless an exception applies or a special resolution to the contrary has been passed by shareholders in a general meeting or the articles of association provide otherwise, in each case in accordance with the provisions of the Companies Act 2006. | | | Under Delaware law, stockholders have no preemptive rights to subscribe to additional issues of stock or to any security convertible into such stock unless, and except to the extent that, such rights are expressly provided for in the certificate of incorporation. |
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Authority to Allot | | | Under the Companies Act 2006, the directors of a company must not allot shares or grant rights to subscribe for or to convert any security into shares unless an exception applies or an ordinary resolution to the contrary has been passed by shareholders in a general meeting or the articles of association provide otherwise, in each case in accordance with the provisions of the Companies Act 2006. | | | Under Delaware law, if the corporation’s certificate of incorporation so provides, the board of directors has the power to authorize the issuance of stock. It may authorize capital stock to be issued for consideration consisting of cash, any tangible or intangible property or any benefit to the corporation or any combination thereof. It may determine the amount of such consideration by approving a formula. In the absence of actual fraud in the transaction, the judgment of the directors as to the value of such consideration is conclusive. |
| | United Kingdom | | | Delaware | |
Liability of Directors and Officers | | | Under the Companies Act 2006, any provision, whether contained in a company’s articles of association or any contract or otherwise, that purports to exempt a director of a company, to any extent, from any liability that would otherwise attach to him or her in connection with any negligence, default, breach of duty or breach of trust in relation to the company is void. Any provision by which a company directly or indirectly provides an indemnity, to any extent, for a director of the company or of an associated company against any liability attaching to him or her in connection with any negligence, default, breach of duty or breach of trust in relation to the company of which he or she is a director is also void except as permitted by the Companies Act 2006, which provides exceptions for the company to (i) purchase and maintain insurance against such liability; (ii) provide a “qualifying third party indemnity” (being an indemnity against liability incurred by the director to a person other than the company or an associated company or for any criminal proceedings in which he is convicted); and (iii) provide a “qualifying pension scheme indemnity” (being an indemnity against liability incurred in connection with the company’s activities as trustee of an occupational pension plan). | | | Under Delaware law, a corporation’s certificate of incorporation may include a provision eliminating or limiting the personal liability of a director to the corporation and its stockholders for damages arising from a breach of fiduciary duty as a director. However, no provision can limit the liability of a director for: • any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to the corporation or its stockholders; • acts or omissions not in good faith or that involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law; • intentional or negligent payment of unlawful dividends or stock purchases or redemptions; or • any transaction from which the director derives an improper personal benefit. |
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Voting Rights | | | Under UK law, unless a poll is demanded by the shareholders of a company or is required by the chairman of the meeting or the company’s articles of association, shareholders shall vote on all resolutions on a show of hands. Under the Companies Act 2006, a poll may be demanded by (i) not fewer than five shareholders having the right to vote on the resolution; (ii) any shareholder(s) representing not less than 10% of the total voting rights of all the shareholders having the right to vote on the resolution (excluding any voting rights attaching to treasury shares); or (iii) any shareholder(s) holding shares in the company conferring a right to vote on the resolution (excluding any voting rights attaching to treasury shares) being shares on which an aggregate sum has been paid up equal to not less than 10% of the total sum | | | Delaware law provides that, unless otherwise provided in the certificate of incorporation, each stockholder is entitled to one vote for each share of capital stock held by such stockholder. |
| | United Kingdom | | | Delaware | |
| | paid up on all the shares conferring that right. A company’s articles of association may provide more extensive rights for shareholders to call a poll. Under UK law, an ordinary resolution is passed on a show of hands if it is approved by a simple majority (more than 50%) of the votes cast by shareholders present (in person or by proxy) and entitled to vote. If a poll is demanded, an ordinary resolution is passed if it is approved by holders representing a simple majority of the total voting rights of shareholders present, in person or by proxy, who, being entitled to vote, vote on the resolution. Special resolutions require the affirmative vote of not less than 75% of the votes cast by shareholders present, in person or by proxy, at the meeting and entitled to vote. If a poll is demanded, a special resolution is passed if it is approved by shareholders representing not less than 75% of the total voting rights of shareholders who, being entitled to vote, vote in person, by proxy or in advance. | | | ||
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Shareholder Vote on Certain Transactions | | | The Companies Act 2006 provides for schemes of arrangement, which are arrangements or compromises between a company and any class of shareholders or creditors and used in certain types of reconstructions, amalgamations, capital reorganizations or takeovers. These arrangements require: • the approval at a shareholders’ or creditors’ meeting convened by order of the court, of a majority in number of shareholders or creditors representing 75% in value of the capital held by, or debt owed to, the class of shareholders or creditors, or class thereof present and voting, either in person or by proxy; and • the approval of the court. | | | Generally, under Delaware law, unless the certificate of incorporation provides for the vote of a larger portion of the stock, completion of a merger, consolidation, sale, lease or exchange of all or substantially all of a corporation’s assets or dissolution requires: • the approval of the board of directors; and • approval by the vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding stock or, if the certificate of incorporation provides for more or less than one vote per share, a majority of the votes of the outstanding stock of a corporation entitled to vote on the matter. |
| | United Kingdom | | | Delaware | |
Standard of Conduct for Directors | | | Under UK law, a director owes various statutory and fiduciary duties to the company, including: • to act in the way he considers, in good faith, would be most likely to promote the success of the company for the benefit of its shareholders as a whole; • to avoid a situation in which he has, or can have, a direct or indirect interest that conflicts, or possibly conflicts, with the interests of the company; • to act in accordance with the company’s constitution and only exercise his powers for the purposes for which they are conferred; • to exercise independent judgment; • to exercise reasonable care, skill and diligence; • not to accept benefits from a third party conferred by reason of his being a director or doing, or not doing, anything as a director; and • a duty to declare any interest that he has, whether directly or indirectly, in a proposed or existing transaction or arrangement with the company. | | | Delaware law does not contain specific provisions setting forth the standard of conduct of a director. The scope of the fiduciary duties of directors is generally determined by the courts of the State of Delaware. In general, directors have a duty to act without self-interest, on a well-informed basis and in a manner they reasonably believe to be in the best interest of the stockholders. Directors of a Delaware corporation owe fiduciary duties of care and loyalty to the corporation and to its stockholders. The duty of care generally requires that a director act in good faith, with the care that an ordinarily prudent person would exercise under similar circumstances. Under this duty, a director must inform himself or herself of all material information reasonably available regarding a significant transaction. The duty of loyalty requires that a director act in a manner he or she reasonably believes to be in the best interests of the corporation. A director must not use his or her corporate position for personal gain or advantage. In general, but subject to certain exceptions, actions of a director are presumed to have been made on an informed basis, in good faith and in the honest belief that the action taken was in the best interests of the corporation. However, this presumption may be rebutted by evidence of a breach of one of the fiduciary duties. Delaware courts have also imposed a heightened standard of conduct upon directors of a Delaware corporation who take any action designed to defeat a threatened change in control of the corporation. In addition, under Delaware law, when the board of directors of a Delaware corporation approves the sale or break-up of a corporation, the board of directors may, in certain circumstances, have a duty to obtain the highest value reasonably available to the stockholders. |
| | United Kingdom | | | Delaware | |
Shareholder Actions | | | Under UK law, generally, the company, rather than its shareholders, is the proper claimant in an action in respect of a wrong done to the company or where there is an irregularity in the company’s internal management. Notwithstanding this general position, the Companies Act 2006 provides that (i) a court may allow a shareholder to bring a derivative claim (that is, an action in respect of and on behalf of the company) in respect of a cause of action arising from a director’s negligence, default, breach of duty or breach of trust and (ii) a shareholder may bring a claim for a court order where the company’s affairs have been or are being conducted in a manner that is unfairly prejudicial to some of its shareholders generally or of some of its shareholders, or that an actual or proposed act or omission of the company is or would be so prejudicial. | | | Under Delaware law, a stockholder may initiate a derivative action to enforce a right of a corporation if the corporation fails to enforce the right itself. The complaint must: • state that the plaintiff was a stockholder at the time of the transaction of which the plaintiff complains or that the plaintiff’s shares thereafter devolved on the plaintiff by operation of law; and • either (i) allege with particularity the efforts made by the plaintiff to obtain the action the plaintiff desires from the directors and the reasons for the plaintiff’s failure to obtain the action; or (ii) state the reasons for not making the effort. Additionally, the plaintiff must remain a stockholder through the duration of the derivative suit. The action will not be dismissed or compromised without the approval of the Delaware Court of Chancery. |
• | U.S. expatriates and former citizens or long-term residents of the United States; |
• | U.S. Holders whose functional currency is not the U.S. dollar; |
• | persons holding an ordinary share as part of a hedge, straddle or other risk reduction strategy or as part of a conversion transaction or other integrated investment; |
• | banks, insurance companies, regulated investment companies, mutual funds and other financial institutions; |
• | brokers, dealers or traders in securities; |
• | “controlled foreign corporations,” “passive foreign investment companies,” and corporations that accumulate earnings to avoid U.S. federal income tax; |
• | partnerships or other entities or arrangements treated as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes and other pass-through entities (and investors therein); |
• | tax-exempt organizations or governmental organizations; |
• | persons deemed to sell an ordinary share under the constructive sale provisions of the Code; |
• | persons who hold or receive an ordinary share pursuant to the exercise of any employee stock option or otherwise as compensation; |
• | tax-qualified retirement plans; |
• | “qualified foreign pension funds” as defined in Section 897(l)(2) of the Code and entities of all the interests of which are held by qualified foreign pension funds; and |
• | Non-U.S. Holders who will own directly, indirectly or constructively more than 5% of our ordinary shares. |
• | an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States; |
• | a corporation created or organized under the laws of the United States, any state thereof, or the District of Columbia; |
• | an estate, the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income tax regardless of its source; or |
• | a trust that (1) is subject to the primary supervision of a U.S. court and the control of one or more “United States persons” (within the meaning of Section 7701(a)(30) of the Code), or (2) has a valid election in effect to be treated as a United States person for U.S. federal income tax purposes. |
• | the gain is effectively connected with the Non-U.S. Holder’s conduct of a trade or business within the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, the Non-U.S. Holder maintains a permanent establishment in the United States to which such gain is attributable); |
• | the Non-U.S. Holder is a nonresident alien individual present in the United States for 183 days or more during the taxable year of the disposition and certain other requirements are met; or |
• | our ordinary shares constitute a U.S. real property interest (“USRPI”) because we are (or have been during the shorter of the five-year period ending on the date of the disposition or the Non-U.S. Holder’s holding period)a U.S. real property holding corporation (“USRPHC”) for U.S. federal income tax purposes. |
• | ordinary brokerage transactions and transactions in which the broker dealer solicits purchasers; |
• | block trades in which the broker dealer will attempt to sell the ordinary shares as agent but may position and resell a portion of the block as principal to facilitate the transaction; |
• | purchases by a broker dealer as principal and resale by the broker dealer for its account; |
• | an exchange distribution in accordance with the rules of the applicable exchange; |
• | privately negotiated transactions; |
• | settlement of short sales; |
• | distribution to employees, members, limited partners or stockholders of the selling shareholder; |
• | in transactions through broker dealers that agree with the selling shareholder to sell a specified number of such ordinary shares at a stipulated price per security; |
• | through the writing or settlement of options or other hedging transactions, whether through an options exchange or otherwise; |
• | by pledge to secured debts and other obligations; |
• | delayed delivery arrangements; |
• | to or through underwriters or broker-dealers; |
• | in “at the market” offerings, as defined in Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), at negotiated prices, at prices prevailing at the time of sale or at prices related to such prevailing market prices, including sales made directly on a national securities exchange or sales made through a market maker other than on an exchange or other similar offerings through sales agents; |
• | in privately negotiated transactions; |
• | in options transactions; |
• | a combination of any such methods of sale; or |
• | any other method permitted pursuant to applicable law. |
Expenses | | | Amount |
SEC registration fee | | | $4,608.83 |
NYSE listing fee | | | $31,347.41 |
Transfer agent’s fee | | | $15,000 |
Printing expenses | | | $50,000 |
Legal fees and expenses | | | $250,000 |
Accounting fees and expenses | | | $100,000 |
Miscellaneous costs | | | $150,000 |
Total | | | $600,955.74 |
• | recognize or enforce judgments of United States courts obtained against us or our directors or officers predicated upon the civil liabilities provisions of the securities laws of the United States or any state in the United States; or |
• | entertain original actions brought in the United Kingdom against us or our directors or officers predicated upon the securities laws of the United States or any state in the United States. |
• | the relevant U.S. court had jurisdiction over the original proceedings according to UK conflicts of laws principles at the time when proceedings were initiated; |
• | the UK courts had jurisdiction over the matter on enforcement and we either submitted to such jurisdiction or were resident or carrying on business within such jurisdiction and were duly served with process; |
• | the U.S. judgment was final and conclusive on the merits in the sense of being final and unalterable in the court that pronounced it and being for a definite sum of money; |
• | the judgment given by the courts was not in respect of penalties, taxes, fines or similar fiscal or revenue obligations (or otherwise based on a U.S. law that a UK court considers to relate to a penal, revenue or other public law); |
• | the judgment was not procured by fraud; |
• | recognition or enforcement of the judgment in the United Kingdom would not be contrary to public policy or the Human Rights Act 1998; |
• | the proceedings pursuant to which judgment was obtained were not contrary to natural justice; |
• | the U.S. judgment was not arrived at by doubling, trebling or otherwise multiplying a sum assessed as compensation for the loss or damages sustained and not being otherwise in breach of Section 5 of the UK Protection of Trading Interests Act 1980, or is a judgment based on measures designated by the Secretary of State under Section 1 of that Act; |
• | there is not a prior decision of a UK court or the court of another jurisdiction on the issues in question between the same parties; and |
• | the UK enforcement proceedings were commenced within the limitation period. |
• | the following sections included in our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2023, filed with the SEC on March 19, 2024: |
• | “Strategic Report—Geographic Operating Areas”; |
• | “Strategic Report—Key Performance Indicators—Our Business”; |
• | “Strategic Report—Sustainability—Our Employees”; |
• | “Strategic Report—Financial Review”; |
• | “Strategic Report—Risk Management Framework”; |
• | “Strategic Report—Risk Factors”; |
• | “Strategic Report—Viability and Going Concern”; |
• | “Corporate Governance—The Chairman’s Governance Statement” through “Corporate Governance—Remuneration at a Glance”; |
• | “Group Financial Statements”; and |
• | “Additional Information (Unaudited)—Officers and Professional Advisors” through “Additional Information (Unaudited)—Glossary of Terms”; |
• | Exhibit 99.3 included in our Report on Form 6-K furnished to the SEC on August 15, 2024; |
• | our Report on Form 6-K furnished to the SEC on August 20, 2024; and |
• | the description of our ordinary shares contained in our registration statement on Form 20-F filed with the SEC on November 16, 2023, as amended on December 8, 2023. |