312.03 Shareholder Approval
Shareholder approval is a prerequisite to issuing securities in the following situations:
Shareholder approval is required prior to the issuance of common stock, or of securities convertible into or exercisable for common stock, in any transaction or series of related transactions, to:
if the number of shares of common stock to be issued, or if the number of shares of common stock into which the securities may be convertible or exercisable, exceeds either one percent of the number of shares of common stock or one percent of the voting power outstanding before the issuance.
However, if the Related Party involved in the transaction is classified as such solely because such person is a substantial security holder, and if the issuance relates to a sale of stock for cash at a price at least as great as the Minimum Price, then shareholder approval will not be required unless the number of shares of common stock to be issued, or unless the number of shares of common stock into which the securities may be convertible or exercisable, exceeds either five percent of the number of shares of common stock or five percent of the voting power outstanding before the issuance.
In addition, the provisions of this Section 312.03(b) will not apply to the sale of stock for cash by an Early Stage Company to (i) a Related Party, (ii) a subsidiary, affiliate or other closely-related person of a Related Party; or (iii) any company or entity in which a Related Party has a substantial direct or indirect interest, provided that the Early Stage Company’s audit committee or a comparable committee comprised solely of independent directors reviews and approves of all such transactions prior to their completion.
The exemption in the preceding paragraph will not be applicable to a sale of securities by the listed company to any person subject to the provisions of this Section 312.03(b) in a transaction, or series of transactions, whose proceeds will be used to fund an acquisition of stock or assets of another company where such person has a direct or indirect interest in the company or assets to be acquired or in the consideration to be paid for such acquisition.
The sale of stock to a Related Party that is an employee, director or service provider is subject to the equity compensation rules in Section 303A.08 of the Manual. For example, a sale of stock by an Early Stage Company to any of such parties at a discount to the then market price would be treated as equity compensation under Section 303A.08 notwithstanding the exemption from shareholder approval provided under Section 312.03(b). Consequently, the company would be required to either: (i) obtain shareholder approval of such sale, or (ii) issue such shares under an equity compensation plan that had previously been approved by shareholders and for which shareholder approval under Section 303A.08 is not otherwise required. Moreover, shareholder approval is required if any of the subparagraphs of Section 312.03 require such approval, notwithstanding the fact that the transaction does not require approval under this subparagraph or one or more of the other subparagraphs. (See Section 312.04(a).)
Shareholder approval is required prior to the issuance of common stock, or of securities convertible into or exercisable for common stock, in any transaction or series of related transactions if:
However, shareholder approval will not be required for any such issuance involving:
•any public offering for cash;
•any bona fide private financing, if such financing involves a sale of:
•common stock, for cash, at a price at least as great as the Minimum Price; or
•securities convertible into or exercisable for common stock, for cash, if the conversion or exercise price is at least as great as the Minimum Price.
Amended: December 31, 2015 (NYSE-2015-02); March 20, 2019 (NYSE-2018-54).