As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 12, 2024
Registration No.
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM S-8
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
Sunrise Realty Trust, Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| Maryland | 93-3168928 | ||||
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) | (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) | ||||
525 Okeechobee Blvd Suite 1650
West Palm Beach, FL 33401
(Address, including zip code, of Principal Executive Offices)
Sunrise Realty Trust, Inc.
Stock Incentive Plan
(Full title of the plan)
Brandon Hetzel
Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer
Sunrise Realty Trust, Inc.
525 Okeechobee Blvd., Suite 1650
West Palm Beach, FL 33401
(561) 530-3315
(Name, address and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
Copy to:
C. Brophy Christensen, Esq.
Jeeho M. Lee, Esq.
O’Melveny & Myers LLP
1301 Avenue of the Americas, 17th FL
New York, NY 10019
(212) 326-2000
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. ☐
PART I
INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE
SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS
Item 1. Plan Information
The document(s) containing the information specified in Part I of Form S-8 will be sent or given to participants as specified by Rule 428(b)(1) promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). In accordance with the instructions to Part I of Form S-8, such documents will not be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) either as part of this Registration Statement or as prospectuses or prospectus supplements pursuant to Rule 424 of the Securities Act. These documents and the documents incorporated by reference pursuant to Item 3 of Part II of this Registration Statement, taken together, constitute a prospectus that meets the requirements of Section 10(a) of the Securities Act.
Item 2. Registrant Information and Employee Plan Annual Information.
Upon written or oral request, the Company will provide, without charge, the documents incorporated by reference in Item 3 of Part II of this Registration Statement. The Company will also provide, without charge, upon written or oral request, other documents required to be delivered to employees pursuant to Rule 428(b) of the Securities Act. Requests should be directed to Sunrise Realty Trust, Inc., Chief Legal Officer, 525 Okeechobee Blvd Suite 1650, West Palm Beach, FL 33401; telephone number: (561) 530-3315.
PART II
INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
Item 3. Incorporation of Certain Documents by Reference
The SEC allows us to “incorporate by reference” into this prospectus the information we file with it, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those documents. The information incorporated by reference is considered to be part of this Registration Statement. Any statement contained in a document incorporated or considered to be incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement will be considered to be modified or superseded for purposes of this Registration Statement to the extent a statement contained in this Registration Statement or in any other subsequently filed document that is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement modifies or supersedes such statement. We incorporate by reference in this Registration Statement the following information (other than, in each case, documents or information deemed to have been furnished and not filed in accordance with SEC rules):
(a)The Company’s effective Registration Statement on Form 10 (File No. 001-41971) initially filed with the SEC on February 22, 2024, as amended by Amendment No. 1 as filed with the SEC on April 8, 2024, as further amended by Amendment No. 2 as filed with the SEC on May 20, 2024, as further amended by Amendment No. 3 as filed with the SEC on June 10, 2024, as further amended by Amendment No. 4 as filed with the SEC on June 24, 2024, and as further amended by Amendment No. 5 as filed with the SEC on June 28, 2024 (as so amended, the “Form 10”); and
(b)The description of the Company’s common stock included in the section titled “Description of Capital Stock” in the Company’s Information Statement filed as Exhibit 99.1 to the Form 10, including any amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating such description.
We also incorporate by reference each of the documents that we file with the SEC under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) on or after the date of this Registration Statement and prior to the termination of the offerings under this Registration Statement. These documents include periodic reports, such as Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K, as well as proxy statements. We will not, however, incorporate by reference in this Registration Statement any documents or portions thereof that are not deemed “filed” with the SEC, including any information furnished pursuant to Item 2.02 or Item 7.01 of our Current Reports on Form 8-K after the date of this prospectus unless, and except to the extent, specified in such Current Reports.
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Item 4. Description of Securities
Not applicable.
Item 5. Interests of Named Experts and Counsel
Not applicable.
Item 6. Indemnification of Directors and Officers
Maryland law permits a Maryland corporation to include in its charter a provision limiting the liability of its directors and officers to the corporation and its stockholders for money damages, except for liability resulting from (i) actual receipt of an improper benefit or profit in money, property or services or (ii) active and deliberate dishonesty that is established by a final judgment and that is material to the cause of action. Our charter (the "Charter") contains a provision that eliminates the liability of our directors and officers to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law.
The Maryland General Corporation Law (“MGCL”) requires a Maryland corporation (unless its charter provides otherwise, which the Charter does not) to indemnify a director or officer who has been successful, on the merits or otherwise, in the defense of any proceeding to which he or she is made a party by reason of his or her service in that capacity. The MGCL permits us to indemnify our present and former directors and officers, among others, against judgments, penalties, fines, settlements and reasonable expenses actually incurred by them in connection with any proceeding to which they may be made or threatened to be made a party by reason of their service in those or other capacities unless it is established that:
•the act or omission of the director or officer was material to the matter giving rise to the proceeding and (a) was committed in bad faith or (b) was the result of active and deliberate dishonesty;
•the director or officer actually received an improper personal benefit in money, property or services; or
•in the case of any criminal proceeding, the director or officer had reasonable cause to believe that the act or omission was unlawful.
Under the MGCL, we may not indemnify a director or officer in a suit by us or in our right in which the director or officer was adjudged liable to us or in a suit in which the director or officer was adjudged liable on the basis that personal benefit was improperly received. A court may order indemnification if it determines that the director or officer is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnification, even though the director or officer did not meet the prescribed standard of conduct or was adjudged liable on the basis that personal benefit was improperly received. However, indemnification for an adverse judgment in a suit by us or in our right, or for a judgment of liability on the basis that personal benefit was improperly received, is limited to expenses.
In addition, the MGCL permits us to advance reasonable expenses to a director or officer upon our receipt of:
•a written affirmation by the director or officer of his or her good faith belief that he or she has met the standard of conduct necessary for indemnification by us; and
•a written undertaking by or on behalf of the director or officer to repay the amount paid or reimbursed by us if it is ultimately determined that the director or officer did not meet the standard of conduct.
The Charter authorizes us to obligate ourselves, and our bylaws (the “Bylaws”) obligate us, to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law in effect from time to time, to indemnify and, without requiring a preliminary determination of the ultimate entitlement to indemnification, pay or reimburse reasonable expenses in advance of final disposition of a proceeding to:
•any present or former director or officer who is made or threatened to be made a party to, or witness in, a proceeding by reason of his or her service in that capacity; or
•any individual who, while a director or officer of our Company and at our request, serves or has served as a director, officer, partner, member, manager or trustee of another corporation, REIT, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or any other enterprise and who is made or threatened to be made a party to, or witness in, the proceeding by reason of his or her service in that capacity.
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The Charter and Bylaws also permit us to indemnify and advance expenses to any person who served a predecessor of ours in any of the capacities described above and to any employee or agent of ours or a predecessor of ours.
In addition to the indemnification provided by the Charter and Bylaws, we have entered into indemnification agreements with our directors and officers that provide for indemnification to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law, subject to certain standards to be met and certain other limitations and conditions as set forth in such indemnification agreements.
Insofar as the foregoing provisions permit indemnification of directors, officers or persons controlling our Company for liability arising under the Securities Act, we have been informed that, in the opinion of the SEC, this indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.
We do not currently carry directors’ and officers’ insurance. However, we may in the future maintain such insurance or establish a sinking fund to contribute a specified amount of cash on a monthly basis towards insuring our directors and officers against liability.
Item 7. Exemption from Registration Claimed
Not applicable.
Item 8. Exhibits
See the attached Exhibit Index at page 4, which is incorporated herein by reference.
Item 9. Undertakings
(a)The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:
(1)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;
(ii)To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of this 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 this 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 20 percent change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement;
(iii)To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in this Registration Statement or any material change to such information in this Registration Statement;
provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) do not apply if the Registration Statement is on Form S-8, and 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 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement.
(2)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.
(3)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.
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(b)The undersigned 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 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 this 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.
(h)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.
EXHIBIT INDEX
Exhibit No. | Description | |||||||
Sunrise Realty Trust, Inc. 2024 Stock Incentive Plan (filed as Exhibit 10.4 to Amendment No. 3 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 10-12B on June 10, 2024 and incorporated herein by reference). | ||||||||
Opinion of Venable LLP (opinion re legality). | ||||||||
| Consent of CohnReznick LLP (consent of independent registered public accounting firm). | ||||||||
Consent of Counsel (included in Exhibit 5.1) | ||||||||
| Power of Attorney (included in this Registration Statement under “Signatures”) | ||||||||
| Filing Fee Table | ||||||||
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, 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 West Palm Beach, State of Florida, on July 12, 2024.
| Sunrise Realty Trust, Inc. | |||||
| By: | /s/ Brandon Hetzel | ||||
| Brandon Hetzel | |||||
| Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer (Duly Authorized Officer) | |||||
POWER OF ATTORNEY
Each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Brian Sedrish and Brandon Hetzel, and each of them, acting individually, as his or her true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, to execute for him or her and in his or her name, place, and stead, in any and all capacities, any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments, exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith) to this Registration Statement as the attorney-in-fact and to file or cause to be filed the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the SEC, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents and their substitutes, 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 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 their or his or her 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 below by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
| Signature | Title | Date | ||||||||||||
| /s/ Brian Sedrish | Chief Executive Officer and Director | July 12, 2024 | ||||||||||||
| Brian Sedrish | (Principal Executive Officer) | |||||||||||||
| /s/ Brandon Hetzel | Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer | July 12, 2024 | ||||||||||||
| Brandon Hetzel | (Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer) | |||||||||||||
| /s/ Leonard M. Tannenbaum | Executive Chairman, Director | July 12, 2024 | ||||||||||||
| Leonard M. Tannenbaum | ||||||||||||||
| /s/ Alexander Frank | Director | July 12, 2024 | ||||||||||||
| Alexander Frank | ||||||||||||||
| /s/ Jodi Hanson Bond | Director | July 12, 2024 | ||||||||||||
| Jodi Hanson Bond | ||||||||||||||
| /s/ James Fagan | Director | July 12, 2024 | ||||||||||||
| James Fagan | ||||||||||||||
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