As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 13, 2024
Registration No. 333-
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM S-8
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
FISCALNOTE HOLDINGS, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| Delaware | 88-3772307 | |
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
1201 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
6th Floor
Washington, D.C. 20004
(Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)
FiscalNote Holdings, Inc. 2024 Inducement Equity Incentive Plan
(Full titles of the plans)
Timothy Hwang
1201 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
6th Floor
Washington, D.C. 20004
(Name and address of agent for service)
(202) 793-5300
(Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
Copy to:
Kevin L. Vold
Polsinelli PC
1401 Eye Street, NW, Suite 800
Washington, DC 20005
Telephone: (202) 783-3300
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
| Large accelerated filer | ☐ | Accelerated filer | ☒ | |||
| Non-accelerated filer | ☐ | Smaller reporting company | ☒ | |||
| Emerging growth company | ☒ | |||||
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ☐
EXPLANATORY NOTE
This Registration Statement on Form S-8 (the “Registration Statement”) is being filed for the purpose of registering 500,000 shares of Class A common stock, $0.0001 par value per share, of FiscalNote Holdings, Inc. (“we”, “us”, “our” or the “Registrant”) issuable under the Registrant’s 2024 Inducement Equity Incentive Plan (the “Inducement Plan”). The Inducement Plan was adopted by the Registrant’s board of directors without stockholder approval pursuant to New York Stock Exchange Listing Rule 303A.08 and will be used exclusively for the grant of equity awards, as an inducement to employment, to qualified individuals who were not previously employees or directors of the Registrant, or following a bona fide period of non-employment.
PART I
In accordance with the instructional note to Part I of Form S-8 as promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), the information specified by Part I of the Form S-8 has been omitted from this Registration Statement.
PART II
| ITEM 3. | INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE |
The following documents filed by the Registrant with the SEC are incorporated by reference into this Registration Statement:
(a) The Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K (File No 001-39672) for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, filed with the SEC on March 15, 2024.
(b) The Registrant’s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q (File No 001-39672) for the fiscal quarters ended March 31, 2024 and June 30, 2024, filed with the SEC on May 10, 2024 and August 8, 2024, respectively.
(c) the Registrant’s Current Reports on Form 8-K (File No 001-39672) filed with the SEC on each of March 15, 2024, April 12, 2024, May 31, 2024, and June 14, 2024.
(d) The description of the Registrant’s Common Stock which is contained in a registration statement on Form 8-A filed on July 29, 2022 (File No. 001-36972) under the Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), including any amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating such description.
(e) All other reports and documents subsequently filed by the Registrant pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act (other than Current Reports furnished under Item 2.02 or Item 7.01 of Form 8-K and exhibits furnished on such form that relate to such items) on or after the date of this Registration Statement and prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement which indicates that all securities offered have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference herein and to be a part of this Registration Statement from the date of the filing of such reports and documents. Any statement contained in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this Registration Statement to the extent that a statement contained herein or in any subsequently filed document that also is deemed to be incorporated by reference herein modifies or supersedes such statement. Any such statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this Registration Statement.
| ITEM 4. | DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES |
Not applicable.
| ITEM 5. | INTERESTS OF NAMED EXPERTS AND COUNSEL |
Not applicable.
| ITEM 6. | INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS |
Section 145(a) of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”) provides, in general, that a corporation may indemnify any person who was or is a party to or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of the corporation), because he or she is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with such action, suit or proceeding, if he or she acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful.
Section 145(b) of the DGCL provides, in general, that a corporation may indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action or suit by or in the right of the corporation to procure a judgment in its favor because the person is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with the defense or settlement of such action or suit if he or she acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, except that no indemnification shall be made with respect to any claim, issue or matter as to which he or she shall have been adjudged to be liable to the corporation unless and only to the extent that the Court of Chancery or other adjudicating court determines that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all of the circumstances of the case, he or she is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses that the Court of Chancery or other adjudicating court shall deem proper.
Section 145(g) of the DGCL provides, in general, that a corporation may purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against any liability asserted against such person and incurred by such person in any such capacity, or arising out of his or her status as such, whether or not the corporation would have the power to indemnify the person against such liability under Section 145 of the DGCL.
Additionally, our Certificate of Incorporation eliminates our directors’ liability to the fullest extent permitted under the DGCL. The DGCL provides that directors of a corporation will not be personally liable for monetary damages for breach of their fiduciary duties as directors, except for liability:
| • | for any transaction from which the director derives an improper personal benefit; |
| • | for any act or omission not in good faith or that involves intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law; |
| • | for any unlawful payment of dividends or redemption of shares; or |
| • | or any breach of a director’s duty of loyalty to the corporation or its stockholders. |
If the DGCL is amended to authorize corporate action further eliminating or limiting the personal liability of directors, then the liability of the Company’s directors will be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, as so amended.
In addition, we have entered into separate indemnification agreements with our directors and officers. These agreements, among other things, require us to indemnify our directors and officers for certain expenses, including attorneys’ fees, judgments, liabilities, fines, penalties and settlement amounts incurred by a director or officer in any action or proceeding arising out of their services as one of our directors or officers or any other company or enterprise to which the person provides services at our request.
We maintain a directors’ and officers’ insurance policy pursuant to which our directors and officers are insured against liability for actions taken in their capacities as directors and officers.
| ITEM 7. | EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION CLAIMED |
Not applicable.
| ITEM 8. | EXHIBITS |
| * | Filed herewith. |
| ITEM 9. | UNDERTAKINGS |
1. The Registrant hereby undertakes:
(a) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:
(i) To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”);
(ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the SEC pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement; and
(iii) To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement;
Provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(i) and (a)(ii) do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the SEC by the Registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement.
(b) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
(c) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.
2. The Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the Registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
3. Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Washington, District of Columbia, on this 13th day of September, 2024.
| FISCALNOTE HOLDINGS, INC. | ||
| By: | /s/ Timothy Hwang | |
| Timothy Hwang | ||
| Chief Executive Officer | ||
KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Timothy Hwang, Jon Slabaugh and Todd Aman, and each or any of them, as his or her true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, each with the full power of substitution, for him or her and in their name, place or stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments to this Registration Statement (including post-effective amendments), and to sign any registration statement for the same offering covered by this Registration Statement that is to be effective upon filing pursuant to Rule 462(b) promulgated under the Securities Act, and all post-effective amendments thereto, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in connection therewith, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents or any of them, or his, her or their substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
| Signature |
Title |
Date | ||
| /s/ Timothy Hwang Timothy Hwang |
Chief Executive Officer and Chairman (Principal Executive Officer) |
September 13, 2024 | ||
| /s/ Jon Slabaugh Jon Slabaugh |
Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President of Corporate Development (Principal Financial Officer) |
September 13, 2024 | ||
| /s/ Paul Donnell Paul Donnell |
Chief Accounting Officer (Principal Accounting Officer) |
September 13, 2024 | ||
| /s/ Gerald Yao Gerald Yao |
Chief Strategy Officer, Global Head of ESG and Director | September 13, 2024 | ||
| /s/ Michael J. Callahan Michael J. Callahan |
Director | September 13, 2024 | ||
| /s/ Key Compton Key Compton |
Director | September 13, 2024 | ||
| /s/ Manoj Jain Manoj Jain |
Director | September 13, 2024 | ||
| /s/ Stanley McChrystal Stanley McChrystal |
Director | September 13, 2024 | ||
| /s/ Keith Nilsson Keith Nilsson |
Director | September 13, 2024 | ||
| /s/ Anna Sedgley Anna Sedgley |
Director | September 13, 2024 | ||
| /s/ Brandon Sweeney Brandon Sweeney |
Director | September 13, 2024 | ||
| /s/ Conrad Yiu Conrad Yiu |
Director | September 13, 2024 | ||